Wellington schools shun council facilities due to uncertainty over staff vaccination status

Schools have pulled out of recreational facilities and swimming pools throughout the city. Photo / 123RF

Some Wellington schools are opting out of using council-run facilities due to there being no vaccine mandate for council staff.

Wellington City Council confirmed an estimated 10 schools have opted out of using council facilities, such as sports centres and swimming pools, until there was a vaccine mandate or a formal decision on frontline staff being vaccinated.

Council spokesman Richard MacLean said the facilities include the ASB Sports Centre in Kilbirnie.

He said the council fully understands why schools are making that decision.

"I think it is one of those things where all the schools are entitled to make their own decisions, so we support the schools on whichever stance they're taking on this situation."

He said the lack of vaccine policies are affecting council facilities across the country – not just in Wellington.

"We're hoping to have a solution or will be making decisions over the next few days … preferably by early next week."

Currently vaccine mandates are in place for those who work at education services such as early childcare centres, kindergartens and schools.

The Ministry of Education said it had received queries seeking clarification on whether the vaccine mandate applied to providers of services who are offsite.

The Ministry said these workers (paid or unpaid) are not covered by the vaccine mandate because they are not working "for" a school, school hostel or early learning service.

It said while a school might be receiving their services when booking or using a facility, those staff are working "for" the local council, owner or operator.

There is nothing to prevent schools from checking on the vaccination status of offsite activity providers as part of Covid-19 health and safety assessments, but they can't require those offsite providers to be vaccinated, the Ministry said.

MacLean said the schools that have opted out include both primary and secondary schools.

PPTA Te Wehengarua President Melanie Webber said they support actions that schools take to keep their communities safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"If schools have concerns for student safety around sporting or cultural events, for example, at facilities where staff are not required to be vaccinated, then we fully support such events being cancelled."

Webber said schools need to do as much as possible to protect vulnerable people from Covid-19.