Christchurch School Closes After Rodents Damage Internet Cables
Hillmorton High School in Christchurch, New Zealand, has been forced to close its doors for two days following an unusual technical problem. The school announced the temporary closure after discovering that rodents had caused significant damage to the building's infrastructure.
The issue began when the school’s internet connection suddenly stopped working. Upon investigation, technicians found that rats or mice had chewed through a vital fiber optic cable. This cable is responsible for providing high-speed internet access to the entire campus, and the damage was too severe to be fixed while students were in class.
Because modern education relies heavily on digital tools, the school management decided that it was impossible to continue teaching without a working network. Teachers use the internet to access lesson plans and resources, while students use digital platforms for much of their daily schoolwork. Without these tools, the school felt it could not provide a productive learning environment.
Repair crews are currently working on-site to replace the damaged sections of the fiber cable. Fixing these types of cables can be a difficult and precise task, requiring specialized equipment. The school hopes that the repairs will be finished quickly so that the internet can be fully restored before the end of the week.
This incident highlights how dependent modern schools have become on technology. While the closure was unexpected, the school is using the time to ensure the network is stable and to prevent similar animal-related damage in the future. Hillmorton High School is expected to reopen and resume normal classes once the repairs are complete.