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By Naadiya Adams

Primary schools are set to return to full-time attendance by the end of July according to the Department of Basic Education. This week, Minister Angie Mosthekga gazetted the latest lockdown regulations for schools.

The gazette coincided with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement to move the country to level 2 lockdown amid the rise in infections and subsequent third wave. The President updated the country on the status of the vaccine roll-out, which is currently in phase 2 and is set to fully vaccinate the country’s senior population by October.

However, the issue of teachers remains paramount, the teaching fraternity believes that teachers need to be prioritized for the vaccine as they play an integral frontline role and with schools returning full time within the next two months, time now is of the essence.

Radio Islam spoke with the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa’s Basil Manuel who gave a sense of the union’s stance on recent developments.

According to Manuel, they were consulted on the full attendance of schools before lockdown restrictions were tightened on Sunday. He says unions put the issue of the looming third wave and the onset of mid-winter on the table. They also looked at the ability of the department to deliver on PPE. They also assessed the critically over-crowded schools and the social distancing. Manuel says putting teachers higher up on the list for the vaccine would make the situation a lot easier.

“We have given it [School re-opening full time] the thumbs up, albeit, it is not a blank cheque, it is a qualified yes. Because, if things turn for the worst, if the signs show us that then we will certainly call for a review,” says Manuel.

Concern has also been raised over schools being named as the new “super-spreader” locations, but according to Manuel that is only the case on secondary schools, unions have been firm on the fact that secondary schools will not return full-time while the pandemic is raging.

Manuel went on to discuss reasons they believe teachers should be vaccinated sooner, as they deal with the largest amount of people in one space and form part of the frontline workers outside of the health fraternity.

“Teachers need to be prioritised for a variety of reasons, one to still the concern teachers have to address their own anxieties, secondly of course to address the anxiety of parents. But teachers play another role, and that is to encourage the public to look at vaccinations far more positively and if teachers are included we will win another war,” says Manuel.

Manuel says the DBE is on board with teachers being vaccinated sooner and both parties are awaiting a response from the Department of Health.