Almost 10 000 teachers and support staff in the Gauteng Department of Basic Education sector have refused to take the Covid-19 vaccine.
The department said 9 113 employees, some with co-morbidities, refused to be vaccinated.
The department said this was “extremely alarming” even though vaccination is voluntary.
The department started rolling out its vaccination to the sector a week ago with the aim of vaccinating 582 000 people by 8 July. More than 300 000 teachers and staff across provinces had been vaccinated by last Thursday.
The numbers were expected to increase this week because delays in capturing teachers and support staff in School Governing Body (SGB) posts and those from private schools were expected to be resolved.
“It is common cause that learners are on recess and, as such, in the coming week, sites will be conducting mop-ups to ensure that all outstanding personnel is vaccinated accordingly,” said Steve Mabona departmental spokesperson.
The reluctance to get vaccinated is a threat to the government’s efforts to normalise schooling amid the devastating pandemic and threatened the academic year.
“Educators were prioritised in this phase of the vaccine rollout and, as such, were expected to take advantage of this opportunity to avoid further disruptions and learning losses in the education sector because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This would ensure that contact learning continues and that no learner will be deprived of learning in a classroom with all the necessary curriculum resources needed.”
Mabona encouraged those employees who refused to take the jab to come forward and take part in the programme.
The issue becomes what the department will do next. Theoretically those staff have to be dismissed. They may infect children who will reinfect adults at home.
[Photo: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency(ANA)]