He Pānui Kōhungahunga
COVID-19 update - 3 November 2021
He Pānui Kōhungahunga
Ngā mihi o te ahiahi,
Kia kaha to those of you in upper Tai Tokerau – thrown straight back into Alert Level 3 restrictions implemented from midnight last night. On a wider scale, as the country moves to 90% vaccination, it will likely require us to be even more agile and respond quickly to shifts in “traffic light status”.
On this note, we are working on operational plans for the new response framework. We’ll have more information for you in the coming weeks.
In this afternoon’s COVID-19 update, you may have heard Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield outline the medical exemption process for receiving vaccinations. Although a number of people have received an ‘exemption’ from a medical practitioner, the process is going to be centralised, and they will need to apply for an exemption through the Ministry of Health. I look forward to sharing more information on this when it is put into effect next week.
In today’s bulletin, we’ve included a table to help you understand the types of roles in the education sector that will be covered by the vaccine Order, some further information about managing parents coming on site (with particular regard for vaccinations) and more.
Aku mihi,
Iona
Recently updated advice for early learning services:
Application of mandatory vaccination requirements for various roles
We have developed a table to help you understand the types of roles in the education sector that will be covered by the Public Health Order requirement to get vaccinated.
General principles for the application of the Order are:
- all workers who carry out work at or for an early learning service, registered school, or hostel fall under the requirements of the Order if:
- they may have contact with children or students when carrying out their work, or
- they are present at the early learning service, registered school or hostel where children or students are also present
- the worker has a duty under the Order to ensure they meet the vaccination requirements.
Where the worker is a staff member of a service contracted to the registered school early or hostel, the service provider is responsible for ensuring the worker meets the requirements of the Order.
| Type of role | Required to be vaccinated under the Public Health Order? |
| Teachers, administration staff, caretakers, cooks | Yes. These staff are required to be vaccinated as they may have contact with children or students and/or will be present at a time when children and students are also present. |
| Learning support staff and other Education agency staff (Ministry of Education and Education Review Office staff, NZQA exam invigilators) |
Yes. These staff are required to be vaccinated if they are visiting early learning services or schools to deliver a service that means they may have contact with children and students and/or will be present at a time when children and students are also present. |
| Transport drivers | No. General transport workers such as public bus drivers (including dedicated school services funded by regional councils) or train conductors are not required to be vaccinated as they are not employed or engaged by an early learning service, school or hostel. However, drivers of school or early learning transport services such as school buses are required to be vaccinated. |
| Employees/volunteers of a contracted service attending onsite during times children or students are also present, including planned events and activities that may take place before or after normal hours (cleaners, tradespeople, nurses and health workers, staff engaged to deliver a programme or for a school event) | Yes. Employees of a contracted service physically attending an early learning service, school or hostel site when children or students are also present are required to be vaccinated. This is because these people are carrying out work at or for an early learning service, school or hostel and they may have contact with children or students or will be present at a time when children and students are also present. |
| Employees/volunteers of organisations who provide a service on an education site (the Life Ed Caravans, dental care, PLD providers, external Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme providers, social workers in schools) | Yes. Employees of a contracted service physically attending an early learning service, school or hostel site when children or students are also present are required to be vaccinated. This is because these people are carrying out work at or for an early learning service, school or hostel and they may have contact with children or students or will be present at a time when children and students are also present. |
| Employees of a contracted service attending onsite outside of school hours or licensed hours of operation when children or students are present (weekend lawn-mowing service, tradespeople outside of school hours/hours of operation) |
No. These staff are not required to be vaccinated. The work will not be occurring at a time when children or students are expected to be present. |
| Parents, caregivers or volunteers at an Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC), Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC) programme or excursion | No. These workers (paid and unpaid) are not required to be vaccinated as they are not working 'at' an education service or employed or engaged by the education service. However, early learning services, schools and kura are encouraged to check on the vaccination status of offsite activity providers as part of their COVID-19 health and safety assessments. |
| Employees or volunteers for providers of EOTC, LEOTC services or excursions which are offsite (library, school camp, Museum staff) | No. These workers (paid and unpaid) are not required to be vaccinated as they are not working “at” an education service or employed or engaged by the education service. However, early learning services, schools and kura are encouraged to check on the vaccination status of offsite activity providers as part of their COVID-19 health and safety assessments. |
| Parents/caregivers dropping off, picking up, or settling children at an early learning service or school | Yes. These people onsite are required to be vaccinated as they may have contact with children or students or will be present at a time when children and students are also present. If the volunteer is working offsite and will not have any contact with children or students as part of their role, then they are not required to be vaccinated. |
| Parents or caregivers attending meetings or events onsite (parent-teacher interviews) | No. The Order only applies to workers and volunteers, not people who are visiting the early learning service, school or hostel. |
| Teachers who only work with students remotely, and never see their students in person | No. These staff are not required to be vaccinated if they will not have contact with children or students. |
| People who provide an educational service off site at a marae (or another significant cultural site) and are not directly employed/contracted by the early learning service, school or hostel | No. People who work or volunteer at the marae but are not employed or engaged by the early learning service, school, or hostel are not required to be vaccinated as they are not working 'at or for' the early learning service, school or hostel. |
| Employees/volunteers of an organisation that is not connected with the school but shares a building or campus (churches, cafes) |
Yes. These people are required to be vaccinated if they may have contact with children or students or will be present at a time when children and students are also present. |
| Student volunteers and students on placement | Yes. Those over the age of 12 are required to be vaccinated if they may have contact with children or students or will be present at a time when children and students are also present. |
| Union representatives | Yes. These people are required to be vaccinated if they may have contact with children or students or will be present at a time when children and students are also present. |
| General public using school facilities after hours (playground, school pool) | No. The requirement to be vaccinated only applies to workers and volunteers. |
| Unvaccinated person responding to an emergency on site (burst water pipe, windows blown out) |
We encourage schools and early learning services to proactively engage with their regular tradespeople about their vaccination status to mitigate any possibility of unvaccinated peoples coming on to the school or service site in the case of an emergency. |
| Parents or caregivers coming into a playgroup that operates on a school site or site otherwise licensed for education and care (while other children are attending school or the early learning service) | Yes. They are required to be vaccinated if they are acting as a volunteer to support the child and they are present at a school or early learning site at a time when other children are present. |
| Parents or caregivers attending specialist early learning services with their children (Champion Centre) | Yes. They are required to be vaccinated if they are acting as a volunteer to support the child and they are present at a school or early learning site at a time when other children are present. |
| Ministry contracted providers who work with priority families to support them to engage in early learning (either in their home or onsite in an early learning service) | Yes. If these people attend an early learning service site, they are required to be vaccinated as they may have contact with children or students or will be present at a time when children and students are also present. |
Webinar tonight: Pregnancy and the vaccine
The Ministry of Health is holding a Facebook live event tonight at 7.30pm to korero about 'Pregnancy and the COVID-19 vaccine'.
Ask an expert – Ministry of Health Facebook
Be sure to click ‘going’ or ‘interested’ to be notified when this event starts.
The event will be facilitated by Kanoa Lloyd from TV3’s The Project and speakers include:
- Dr Michelle Wise – obstetrician and gynaecologist
- Dr Kara Okesene-Gafa – obstetrician and gynaecologist
- Christine Mallon – Chief midwife
- Bronwyn Robinson – nurse
Pay equity claim updates
A Multi-Employer Pay Equity Process Agreement (MEPA) has gone out to employing early learning service providers covered by the multi-employer claim to sign electronically from 27 October. The MEPA outlines how the employers will work together during the claims process and is a legal requirement before moving to the next phase.
If you want regular pay equity updates please sign up to our newsletter or you can visit our website for more information.
Sign up to the pay equity newsletter – Ministry of Education
Pay equity – Ministry of Education
If you have any queries email ministry.payequity@education.govt.nz.
Whānau in-home learning programme tender opportunity on GETS
We would like to notify you of a new tender opportunity listed on Government Electronic Tendering System (GETS). This is for whānau in-home learning.
This is an opportunity to provide a programme that will support children between the ages of two years and up to the required school age, and their whānau, to engage in learning in the home. The programme will help the children develop strong foundations and transition into an early childhood education, kōhanga reo, school or kura.
Please go to the GETS website if you are interested in submitting a proposal. If you have questions about this opportunity please ask these through the GETS website. This will ensure all potential providers receive the same information about the tender.
Whānau in-home learning – Ministry of Education
We have also provided this guidance document to help you sign up on GETS. If you have questions about registering as a supplier on the GETS website that are not covered in the guidance document, call the GETS staff on 0508 438 743 (Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm).
