Frontline healthcare workers are still in the process of being vaccinated but after this, the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU) wants teachers to be next in line after those citizens over 60 years old.
SADTU wants teachers to be prioritised in the vaccine rollout so that education can continue safely and for schools to stay open with many not wanting online learning and teachers to come back.
Over 3200 teachers were lost due to Covid-19 along with support staff.
SADTU General Secretary, Mugwena Maluleke, said:
We have approached the Department of Health to say that the teachers need to prioritised in order to ensure learning must not stop.
Maluleke said that they were promised that by the end of April, teachers would've been vaccinated but delays occurred for reasons they don't believe.
He also says that schools should be used as vaccination sites as they are the at the centre of the community and the web in vaccinating.
The Department of Education is not responsible for vaccinations and therefore, we need to be able to send a very clear message to the National Command Council that is responsible for this as well as those responsible for the vaccine.
"We are working day and night to make sure that the message is sent through to say enough is enough, we cannot have our children not being taught because the teachers are not well," Maluleke continued.
SADTU has said that they believed that teachers would be the next group vaccinated after healthcare workers and that the vaccine rollout has been confusing.
The Union has been demanding for a date for teacher vaccinations to take place and has encouraged teachers to register.
Some teachers are over 60 years of age and would then qualify to receive the vaccine as part of phase 2, which is being rolled out now. Those with comorbidities will receive the vaccine next, which would also include some teachers.
