The vaccination programme for teachers and other school staff is ready for roll-out and scheduled to start on Wednesday, June 23.
This announcement was made by Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, during a media briefing earlier today (Saturday) on the response of the sector to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Motshekga said that a plan for the vaccination programme was presented to the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) this morning and they are pleased with the progress made thus far.
She mentioned that there are 582 000 people in the sector to be vaccinated over a period of 10 to 14 days, including weekends. The vaccination programme will run until July 8, one day before schools close to mark the end of the second term.
“Subsequent to the CEM meeting today, we held consultation sessions with key stakeholders, including teacher unions, national associations responsible for governance in public schools, learners with special education needs, independent schools and the South African Principals’ Association to appraise them on the latest developments regarding the sector’s response to COVID-19. I am glad to announce that we are all in agreement regarding the approach to be taken from today onwards,” Motshekga said.
Those to be vaccinated are: all PERSAL staff (as at April 2021). This includes educators and admin and support staff at all public schools, irrespective of their age. SGB teachers and those teachers employed by independent schools registered in terms of the South African Schools Act will also be vaccinated.
Motshekga mentioned that in their deliberations with the Department of Health, it was further agreed that the vaccination programme must also cover staff who transport learners to and from school, staff doing remote learning programmes, cleaning staff, staff of teacher unions and those who support the school feeding schemes (food handlers).
She added that the Departments of Health and Basic Education at provincial and district levels will work together to link schools to identified vaccination sites.
“Vaccination is voluntary but highly recommended so that everybody can be protected. Everybody is expected to make their own transport arrangements. Where there are challenges, schools will need to assist,” she added.
Motshekga emphasised that they believe schools must remain open.
“By saying this, we are not insensitive to the concerns raised about the rising infections. The position is that we continue to handle COVID cases according to the differentiated strategy, on a province-by-province, school-by-school basis.”
She added that primary school learners are still set to return to school on the first day of the third term on July 26.
“Cabinet approved and supported the proposal by the sector to prepare for the return of traditional timetabling at primary school level,” she said.
