About 105 succumb to COVID-19 this week
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday August 11, 2021 14:44
The two secretaries-general for the teachers' trade unions, Agang Gabana and Tobokani Rari, reported that as of Monday this week, they have recorded about 105 deaths.
According to the trade unions, the recent statistics from the Ministry of Health and Wellness show mortality is highest within the education sector, followed by the law enforcement cadres.
“We, therefore, draw a conclusion that the high rate of COVID-19-related complications [in] mortality in the education sector is owing to the nature of the environment in which educators work. Educational institutions are the only industries that hold thousands of people at a go in any single day. Worse still with such, the young population is difficult to control when it comes to adherence to COVID-19 protocols.”
They said these environments, therefore, leave teachers terribly exposed and vulnerable, hence the high COVID-19 related complications in mortalities in the teaching education sector.
In their Memorandum of Understanding entered upon on August 10, 2021, the unions insist that if their assessment still shows that the majority of teachers have not been vaccinated, then the opening of schools should be deferred until such time that teachers would have been [fully] vaccinated. Schools are supposed to be opened on August 17, 2021.
The trade unions proposed that if the educators would not have been vaccinated by August 17, 2021, then the reopening of schools should be deferred until such a time that teachers would have been vaccinated.
It continues: “The unions as well made it known that they have decided that their members should not get into classes to teach or interact with students if they would not have been vaccinated before schools reopen and that the 'No Vaccination, No Classes' campaign has commenced. On the issue of school readiness for reopening, the trade unions proposed that the schools' readiness assessment that is about to be carried out should be used to inform a decision of whether a school or educational institution should re-open or not.”
The unions said the Minister of Basic Education has promised to consult cabinet on the matter and revert to them on their proposal and intention this week. However, the trade unions have advised their members not to attend classes until the minister reverts to them.