The two Catholic organisations are united in their condemnation of the armed conflict.

"End the hostilities!" say Caritas Aotearoa NZ's Mena Antonio and the NZCEO's Dr Kevin Shore.

Both chief executives are appalled that the air strike targeted the school and caused civilian casualties and serious destruction in the school compound. Four people died.

The school, run by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, housed hundreds of civilians whose homes were destroyed in an air strike last October.

The tragedy at Holy Family School should never have happened. It was a place of refuge for the most vulnerable people, says Antonio.

It was a school, Shore added.

"Schools should be a safe haven! Our young people should not be seen as collateral damage in any war. This violence must stop - and human dignity must be paramount."

End hostilities now

All parties must effect a cease fire and allow aid and supplies into Gaza via an unhindered humanitarian corridor to Gaza, Shore and Antonio say.

The people caught in Gaza are desperately in need of water, food, medicines and other essential supplies.

Antonio says Caritas continues to aid all who are in need regardless of nationality, religious belief, gender or ethnicity. It prays for peace and security for all peoples.

The Catholic organisation is the world's second largest humanitarian network, working across 165 countries.

"We are working for a world free of poverty and injustice through community development, advocacy, education and emergency relief" Antonio says.

The New Zealand Catholic Education Office serves the educational requirements of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference.

Shore says the office also assists the Conference and the Proprietors of Catholic Integrated schools in their mission of providing Catholic education.

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• Scoop

What seems apparent is that a number of schools in more impoverished and disadvantaged urban areas have lost significant funds from their operational grants, and this seems to run counter to the concept of equity.

The first point is to determine whether state-integrated schools are represented disproportionately in those schools that will receive a reduction in their operational grant as a result of the implementation of the EQI.

The second issue is then to determine whether the implementation of the EQI has created inequities that were not fully considered in its design.

It may well be that there are factors of those families that support state integrated education that carry less ‘risk' according to the mathematical model being used.

However, the current high levels of achievement success of many of our state-integrated schools could well be placed at risk if they lose crucial funding that supports and nurtures the success of students in those schools that serve communities who are disadvantaged.

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• Catholic Education Office

NZCEO has undertaken extensive consultation with our various stakeholder groups including our school principal executives and in the main there is a strong feeling that the current environment is not ideal for bringing large groups together safely.

The pandemic continues to create challenges in managing our organisations and schools and NZCEO is supportive of the wonderful job our principals are doing at this time.

We would prefer to support principals in focusing on their core roles without placing further expectations on them. This coupled with the significant financial liability of facilitating such a large event during a pandemic has resulted in the decision to postpone the event until 2024. Read more