The legal firm claimed a school should never be put in a situation where it could be “prevented from carrying out its primary obligations,” and believed schools would have grounds to have the directions judicially reviewed. The ministry currently has the power to direct a school to enrol an excluded student under the Education and Training Act 2020. But Quigg Partners said these enrolments could prevent schools from maintaining a physically and emotionally safe place for students and staff, also a direction under the Act. ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff Associate education minister Jan Tinetti said she understood schools were stretched thin. The stance goes against Crown Law advice issued in 2015 which found schools’ obligations to take students were not in conflict with their duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 to ensure a safe environment for workers and other people.