NALEDI SHOTA|
Teachers are set to be vaccinated within the next few weeks.
Inside Education has seen a letter by the Head of Health in KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Sandile Tshabalala, addressed to the Head of Education Enock Nzama asking that he makes departmental coordinators available for planning meetings today.
Inside Education has confirmed the authenticity of the letter from two independent sources.
In the letter written on Thursday titled: Vaccination of educators, Tshabalala said the national department of education has confirmed that the J&J vaccines would be made available in the next week and that “ most of which should be used for educators”
“The target group is basic education (all staff members of primary and secondary schools). It is expected that the dedicated vaccination sites for educators will be ready by Wednesday, 9th June 2021, and the vaccination period will be for two week,” reads the letter.
Inside Education also understands that teacher unions are meeting with the Department of Basic Education today and the agenda is teacher vaccination.
Inside Education reported on Tuesday that teacher unions had written to the national departments of health and education asking that teachers be prioritised for vaccination this month.
READ: Teacher unions push to have teachers vaccinated in June
The teacher union leaders that spoke to Inside Education said ideally they wanted their members to be vaccinated before 26 July when all primary school learners and learners in special education needs schools are expected back in class daily.
Basil Manuel, Naptosa Executive Director said, at the time, teachers must also be regarded as frontline workers because they come into contact with large groups of people compared to the police, for example.
While General Secretary of Sadtu, Mugwena Maluleke, also told Inside Education on Tuesday that a delay in vaccinating teachers may lead to education of learners being disrupted.
