EIT To Implement Vaccination Policy From Next Year

The Eastern Institute of Technology Te Aho a Māui (EIT) will implement a Vaccination Policy from Monday, 14 February 2022, requiring all ākonga (learners), kaimahi (workers), and visitors who engage in EIT activities to be fully vaccinated, unless otherwise exempted.

The new policy has been approved by the Council of Te Pūkenga, of which EIT and other polytechnics are subsidiaries. It is also very similar to polices that have been implemented across the whole tertiary sector and most Tertiary Education Institutes in recent weeks. The policy will apply to EIT’s campuses in Hawke’s Bay,Tairāwhiti and Auckland as well as regional learning centres.

The Chief Executive of EIT, Chris Collins, said that in developing this policy, he was strongly influenced by the position taken by the Te Pūkenga Council, which was informed by expert advice.

Mr Collins says he has carefully considered all feedback, and also taken on board the advice of trusted expert advisors in arriving at this decision.

“I appreciate that a few will be disappointed by this decision. It’s a complex issue balancing the rights of individuals to make their own decision on vaccination, against the rights of students and staffto study and work in a safe environment where contact with COVID-19 is minimised,” says Mr Collins.

“We were also mindful that EIT reaches into many high risk communities that are vulnerable and at risk.”

Mr Collins says the priority throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of the EIT community and those the institute interacts with, and to do EIT’s best to minimise disruption to the learning environment of our students in 2022.

To view the Te Pūkenga position on Vaccinations, please go to https://tepkenga.ac.nz/about-us/covid-19/.

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