GL: Significant number of teachers already vaccinated

By Rathindra Kuruwita

A significant number of teachers had already been vaccinated, Education Minister, Prof. G.L Peiris told the media yesterday. The Minister added that the rest of the teachers would be vaccinated within a week.

“Soon, teachers, parents and children will feel a lot more confident about reopening schools after most of the teachers are vaccinated,” the Minister said.

The Education Ministry has decided to open schools with fewer than 100 students within this month and the rest of the schools, as soon as possible.

However, commenting on the Minister’s claims, Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary, Joseph Stalin said that it was absurd to claim that a significant number of teachers had been vaccinated.

Around three million people have received the first jab and those who had been vaccinated are those over 30, Stalin said.

“Perhaps, the Minister can prove me wrong with data. However, common sense and logic would indicate that most teachers are not vaccinated. Most Sri Lankans had not been vaccinated and there was no program to vaccinate teachers. So how can the Minister say most teachers are vaccinated?” Stalin asked.

The CTU General Secretary said he believed that schools should be open to academic activities as soon as possible and that they had been asking the government to vaccinate principals, teachers, and nonacademic staff of schools for months.

“There are around 270,000 people in the mentioned categories. Schools are places where it is hard to maintain physical distancing. Vaccination and wearing masks probably are the best ways to ensure there are no super spreader situations around schools”, he said.