THE Government should vaccinate all teachers as soon as possible to reduce risk to themselves and schoolchildren, who are now back to school.
“We have now opened up our secondary schools as well. It means, almost 500,000 teachers are back to work.
“Any delays in vaccinating teachers will only expose them and our children to COVID-19. Please inoculate our teachers,” said former Education Minister Maszlee Malik in a joint statement.
Last month, Health Ministry (MOH) director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that 41 COVID-19 clusters were detected in educational institutions nationwide, since the incremental resumption of physical classes in January.
He added that 15 of the clusters were detected higher education facilities, 11 of them in secondary schools, 10 from primary and preschools, and five more clusters involving tahfiz and madrasah religious schools, over the last three months.
Touching on the matter, Maszlee said that teachers are also considered as frontliners, putting themselves at risk to ensure children continues to receive education for the nation’s future.
“So, we must take this matter seriously. The continuity of our children’s learning process depends on our teachers’ health.
“Therefore, the Opposition bloc calls upon the MOH to work with the Education Ministry and schedule our teachers to get inoculated as soon as possible,” the Simpang Renggam MP remarked.
The statement was also signed by MPs Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Teo Nie Ching, Hasan Baharom, Syed Saadiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Amirudin Hamzah, Isnairassah Munirah Majilis and Wilfred Madius Tangau. – April 6, 2021.
