Steiner Education Aotearoa New Zealand

New Zealand, 5th November 2021
Steiner Education Aotearoa New Zealand is committed to maintaining a healthy learning environment for our staff and ākonga and have carefully followed, and will continue to follow, government requirements throughout this pandemic to keep our community safe. We are committed to supporting our tamariki and rangatahi to return to the school environment where they can thrive and be safe and healthy.

Our position is as follows:

• Steiner Education Aotearoa New Zealand has always supported and followed the advice of the Ministry of Health and the government. We are required by law to comply with all government directives, and carry out our processes in line with government instruction where legislated.
• As an education movement we do not take an official stance on the use of vaccines, nor offer medical advice; encouraging all individuals to make a decision based on good information, and the counsel of qualified medical professionals.
• With kindness and compassion, we respect the right of each individual to make their own decision with regard to a vaccine or any medical intervention.

All sectors across New Zealand are currently presented with the challenges of dealing with the required restrictions and mandates, and this extends to all schools, including our Steiner schools. We want to reassure the community that we will continue to do all we can to work with teachers, the Ministry of Education, and parents to get positive outcomes for our Steiner schools and early childhood centres.

We understand there is a rich variety of thought and opinions on this matter and we are encouraging all of our community to please respect our staff’s personal medical information and choices regarding this matter. We ask that the community continues to remain supportive and patient, giving staff and the community the space they need to work through their individual processes.

As a school movement, we are committed to supporting our communities with the kindness, compassion, empathetic awareness and acceptance that has created the healthy social life that our schools are best known for.

 

Janet Molloy, CEO
On behalf of Steiner Education Aotearoa New Zealand