As part of the preparation for the resumption of face-to-face classes at the basic education level, a federation of teachers on Monday, Feb. 15, urged the government to include teachers in the list of priority groups that will receive the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines, in an online press conference, is pushing for the inclusion of teachers in the priority list of those who will receive the COVID-19 vaccine to ensure the safe resumption of face-to-face classes.
ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio said the Department of Education (DepEd), as early as now, “should assess schools if they are safe for face-to-face classes.”
With all the challenges being reported by students, parents and teachers regarding the implementation of distance learning this school year, Basilio said that there is a need to “resume face-to-face classes” the soonest possible time.
However, before the conduct of in-person classes resumed, ACT said that the government should come up with a “clear plan on the safe reopening of schools.”
Quezon City Public School Teachers Association (QCPSTA) President Kris Navales also underscored the need to prioritize the teachers under the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program. “The government should also consider education and its workers, as ‘essential’ amid the pandemic,” he added.
Aside from being included in the priority list, ACT said that there should also be free mass testing for teachers and other education workers.