Young New Zealand First is concerned with the increasing number of tertiary institutes that are requiring vaccination as a condition to attend on campus learning. Auckland University, Waikato University, and as announced today, Otago University will all require students to be fully vaccinated to step foot on campus.

Young New Zealand First firmly believes that vaccination is the best tool to combat Covid-19, however we also stand for the principle of equal and open access to education of all types for all New Zealanders. The provision of limited online or remote study options that is being offered by these providers fails to counteract the impact of vaccination mandates on campus and violates our principles, the provision of full remote learning capabilities must be offered in institutions where mandates are put in place to allow any kiwi the opportunity to access educational pathways.

Young New Zealand First Chairman, Keegan Langeveld spoke on this issue saying “It’s absolutely ridiculous that education providers are mandating vaccination without offering alternatives for people who remain unvaccinated. We saw over various lockdowns the capability to teach remotely, and in some places, we saw a hybrid of campus based and online learning at play, it works, it can be done, and so it should. We can’t start refusing access to education based on vaccination status because our vaccination rates still aren’t great. Over the past decade or so, there has been a massive push to increase Māori enrollment in tertiary education, but no one has stopped and reflected on the fact that Māori have lower than average vaccination rates, which means it’s highly likely that a disproportionate number of Māori students will be barred from accessing an equal tertiary education because of their vaccination status. Let me be clear, I’m vaccinated, I support mandates that protect communities, but I do not support the removal of educational opportunities. The least these institutions could do is offer full remote learning capabilities for unvaccinated students and allow them the educational opportunities they have fought to earn access to.”

Young New Zealand First is calling on tertiary providers to give some further clarity to their guidelines, to implement remote learning measures that allow an equal and equitable access to higher education for any students who may not be vaccinated, and for all institutions who are still reflecting on mandates to properly consider the wider impacts of the mandates on your students.

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