Unions called this week for the Commonwealth to give teachers and childcare workers priority access to COVID-19 vaccinations.
“We are calling on the Federal Government to rectify what has always been an appalling situation and lift early educators up the queue so that they can get the jab as soon as possible,” said Helen Gibbons, early Childhood Education and Care Director of the United Workers’ Union (UWU).
Australia is one of the few countries in the world where teachers are not considered a priority group, although the NSW Government has given priority vaccinations to almost 10,000 teachers in hotspots.
The UWU, the Australian Education Union (AEU), and the Independent Education Union (IEU) wrote to Federal Education Minister Greg Hunt, arguing that teachers, educators, and education support staff should be considered frontline workers, like aged care, healthcare, disability care, border and quarantine, and other vulnerable workers – all of whom had been eligible for vaccination in phases 1a and 1b.
“Millions of families and children rely on schools and early learning services each and every day,” they stated. “The fastest way to minimise the impact of any future COVID outbreaks on the community is to ensure that schools and early learning services can remain open with fully vaccinated staff.”
The risk of infection among children would be less if teachers were fully vaccinated, they continued.
However, teachers and support staff experienced long waits for the vaccine, said Christine Cooper, Acting Federal Secretary of the IEU.
“It has been infuriating that teachers and education support staff have been given no priority in the vaccination queue,” agreed Correna Haythorpe, Federal President of the AEU.
Many were stressed and anxious because of safety concerns or increased workloads, particularly in jurisdictions where lockdowns had been imposed.
The Department of Health responded that many teachers or childcare workers might now be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination on the basis of their age or other grounds.
More than half of Australia’s adult population was eligible for a vaccination, a government spokesperson said, including people 40 years and older, or anyone aged 16 to 39 in a priority group. Eighteen- to 39-year-olds can also choose to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The ACT Government encouraged teachers, early childhood educators, and support staff to book for a vaccination through an ACT Government mass vaccination clinic or by using the Commonwealth Government’s eligibility checker.
Greens MLA Johnathan Davis, however, believed the government could do more.
“Teachers have experienced the unique pressures of the COVID pandemic, including working additional unpaid hours during the transition to online learning.
“One of the clearest ways this federal government can show appreciation for the hard work of teachers is to ensure that their health is prioritised and that they receive the vaccine as soon as possible.”
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