As the government rolls out its coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination drive, a network of education practitioners, parents, students, and development workers expressed support to the intensifying calls to prioritize teachers in the list.

“Many teachers have reported high levels of stress and anxiety because of online classes and lockdown-related concerns during our consultation,” said Aral Pilipinas Lead Convenor Regina Sibal in a statement issued Monday, March 29.

“If we really are hopeful to reopen schools in August, we need to bring the subject of teachers’ well-being and safety into the spotlight,” Sibal added.

Aral Pilipinas is a group that advocates for the continuity of education in times of crisis. “One thing is clear: teachers are frontline workers too,” Sibal stressed.

She also noted that international standards have set teachers on high priority and neighboring countries in Southeast Asia have either started vaccinating their teachers or placed them next to health workers in priority.

“We need to work harder to accelerate the vaccination drive and effectively mitigate the effects of COVID-19,” Sibal said. “Keeping our teachers safe and away from the virus is a step toward our goal to safely reopen schools - they have already been given multiple tasks in the pandemic and their role to shape our children’s future remains the most important,” she added.

On March 19, Aral Pilipinas - along with at least 40 organizations from the health, education, business, and public governance sectors - issued a position paper and called on the government to put Filipino teachers, support staff, and school personnel in priority groups for vaccination against COVID-19.

In a joint statement, the groups propose that “teachers, currently in B1 priority under NITAG Resolution No. 1, s. 20212, be moved up to A4 priority.” 

Both teachers and social workers have been tagged under the B1 group while frontline personnel in essential sectors, including uniformed personnel, are in the A4 group.

The groups estimate around 1.3 million teachers and teaching support staff be vaccinated, further citing that, while teachers are at an average risk level of COVID infection, their vaccination increases confidence to open schools.

“A significant part of our proposed framework for safe school reopening requires schools to have actionable guidance for safe operations and monitoring of COVID-19 situation,” Sibal said.

Aral Pilipinas also emphasized that to be able to open schools and set up face-to-face classes again, it is important that “teachers take a spot in the next phase” of the government’s vaccination drive.

As the Department of Education (DepEd) holds its early registration for incoming Kindergarten, Grades 1, 7, and 11 learners in public schools from March 26 to April 30, Sibal said the call to “vaccinate teachers immediately becomes more crucial.”

Sibal noted that this month-long activity will allow the DepEd to better prepare for possible issues and concerns as stated by the Basic Education Enrollment policy.

However, with the ongoing surge of COVID-19 cases, in-person registration through parents or guardians has been limited to Modified General Community Quarantine  (MGCQ) areas only, provided that health and safety protocols are strictly observed.