Teacher union call for educators to be prioritised for Covid vaccine
We are concerned that as children return from different vacation points following the Christmas break, schools could turn into super-spreader sites for Covid-19 infections.
A teacher union has asked for educators to be among the first in line for the Covid-19 vaccine.
According to National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) director Basil Manuel, it has written to the Department of Health about the issue.
The union was also set to meet this week with other unions as well as the education department to discuss the matter.
One of the reasons behind their proposal, Manuel said was to ensure the clamping down of high infections and to save the 2021 academic year.
Naptosa, however, said it did not want teachers to get the vaccine ahead of health workers.
“It is ethical and fair that health medical workers should be first,” said Manuel.
He said the health department should prioritise teachers as well.
“The education sector cannot afford to lose more teaching time. We have large gaps in our systems that are going to haunt us for a long time if we do not ensure that 2021 is more successful than 2020.
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“Teachers are also caregivers. They are the people who ensure that everybody else can get on with their lives and get the economy running while their children are cared for at schools. In the absence of not being able to do that, it hampers the economy,” he said.
Manual said the latest health department data showed that more young people are getting infected. In densely populated high schools, he feared the risk of infection would be high.
South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said their union was also worried about the rising number in Covid-19 infections.
He said that if infections do not drop within the next 14 days, not all grades can be accommodated at the same time at schools.
“Teachers should be prioritised in the vaccine roll-out,” said Maluleke.
“The medical insurance we pay every month must ensure that they test teachers and administer the vaccine urgently.”
Meanwhile, National Teachers’ Union (Natu) general secretary Cynthia Barnes called on the education department to ensure schools’ safety when they reopen.
“We are concerned that as children return from different vacation points following the Christmas break, schools could turn into super-spreader sites for Covid-19 infections,” said Barnes.
Barnes appealed to the education department to ensure that schools comply with safety measures for reducing the spread of the virus.
By 18 December 2020 in Gauteng about 11 582 people tested positive for Covid-19, this included health workers and educators.
According to the health department, the first vaccine roll-out would take place in February and health workers would be the first to receive it.
Educators were set to receive the vaccine during the second phase of the roll-out.
The health department has yet to comment on its stance on the proposal to have teachers being among first to receive the vaccine.
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