The New Zealand Kindergartens (NZK) Board has welcomed the Government’s announcement about mandatory vaccination for early learning staff.

NZK President James Patea said that “ keeping our staff, tamariki, whānau and community safe has been at the forefront of our decision making since Covid-19 arrived in New Zealand. Our local Kindergarten Association’s across the network have worked tirelessly to deliver quality early childhood education in a variety of ways, they have also supported whanau”.

He said that the board wholeheartedly supported the Government’s mantra that vaccination was our best form of defence. “Having mandatory vaccination strengthens this approach and we will work with our members to support the workforce to be fully vaccinated by 1 January 2022”.

Mr Patea said that he understood there was significant operational policy work to be done by the Ministry of Education to effect the change and NZK would willingly engage in and support this work. A key concern that will need to be addressed is how we best support those staff who are not able to be vaccinated and those that for personal reason decline to be vaccinated.

New Zealand Kindergartens is a Peak Body that supports fourteen local Kindergarten Associations across Aotearoa New Zealand. Collectively the NZK Network educates and cares for more than 7,000 children who participate at 161 Kindergartens and six centres, supported by more than 1,070 staff.

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