Hundreds of teachers, on Sunday, voted not to return to the classroom on Wednesday for what education officials are calling “professional development purposes”.
The teachers have dismissed this as a pretext to pressure them to take a COVID-19 vaccine amidst relatively low uptake in the country, where the government is hoping to administer 40,000 doses over the next few weeks.
At the virtual meeting, convened by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Union (SVGTU), educators expressed a willingness to return to the classroom on April 12, the date for the conditional reopening of school for the first time this year, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
President of the SVGTU, Oswald Robinson did not disclose to iWitness News the outcome of the meeting when we contacted him at 10:50 a.m. on Monday, saying a press release would have been issued later on Monday.
He told iWitness News at 8:36 p.m. Monday that the press release would be circulated to the media on Tuesday morning.
However, a source with knowledge of the meeting told iWitness News that close to 500 teachers attended the virtual talks and many of them gave various reasons for not wanting to return to the classroom on Wednesday.
“The plan to vaccinate teachers during that period is part of the problem and the biggest concern,” the source said.
The source noted the circular that the Ministry of Education sent to the head of educational institutions on Thursday.
iWitness News has obtained a copy of the communiqué in which Permanent Secretary Myccle Burke said that the March 17 to 19 session for teachers will focus on assessment of students’ online engagement and academic recovery programme where schools are expected to devise plans that focus on recovering students’ learning loss, particularly the students who were not engaged online.
The sessions will allow review of the achievements of the online learning and its sustainability; review of the skills and competence critical to delivering online learning; revisit of the health and safety protocols; and make recommendations for promotion at the end of the academic year.
But the source told iWitness News that at Sunday’s meeting, teachers concluded that all of these objectives could be achieved in virtual and face-to-face sessions were not necessary.
Yes. I am happy my people are pushing back against this bullying and fearmongering.
You have a choice. You have a voice. Use it!!!
The result: Nobody trusts anybody. I ask myself what it takes to make that? and the only answers are ignorance, foolishness,’ backwardness’, and conceit. Well, talk about ism and schism. People don’t trust the government. A wonder how come that, eh? But we got to learn to love one another.
A group of people trying to force the government’s hand? How will that work out? Unstoppable force meet immovable object?
If you foolish people who want to be in the class room with people children and is bluntly refusing to take the jab as Ralph is saying calls it should really be fired. We here in the united states has to yes it if we want or not. Its the safety of the public. What is wrong with you people. Don’t you all hearing how many is getting sick and is dying. Take the god dam jab and shut you all trap for Christ sake.
You need to keep your trap shut, no one wants to be a lab rat. So you take it and be safe, you damn fool.
Agreed!
I think people are mising the point. A lot of people are not anti vaxxers, we are simply anti being part of vaccination trials.
Life is all about choices that’s our God given right. nobody can’t restrain another and give them anything. . , should this happen then its not a democratic country. are you also saying that all health workers have to take it in order to work in the health institutions? For the bus drivers, is this a threat??
This is a sad state of affairs. We aint dey good. By concern is for the many children who are presently missing due to the problems relating to online teaching. We are losing a generation of children. Time for compromise.
My concern I should have said. I hope this situation is sorted out as quickly as possible. Students are being left behind.
The truth is that there are no reports of any children ever dying of Covid on planet Earth. The CDC lists death from Covid under the age of 19 at .0003. Even Boris Johnson said that when the country is locked down, children will still go to school.
COVID POSES VIRTUALLY NO RISK TO CHILDREN!
But in SVG we are too incapable of attaining knowledge by gathering facts. THAT IS WHY THE COUNTRY GOES NOWHERE!
But, in SVG we do not go by any science. We just go by copying various mistakes from whatever various countries we think makes us LOOK AS IF we are doing the right thing.
My people,,get real,,after taking these vaccines,, according to the scientist and the man who is advocating them dr fauchie,,they will Not eradicate the virus,prevent u from spreading or catching it. So what’s all the fuss about it teachers or whoever decide not to take it??? Can’t u see these vaccines are useless,,they are still testing,,we are gene pigs if we take it. Where are your sense???
The believe that the objective is a noble one. However the apparent use of coercive tactics by the state instead of persuasion for teachers to get vaccinated, seems to be the problem.
U Monica shut ur Trap
Ralph payin you
My teacher told me I must look left and right when crossing the road and I have had the choice not to do this should I feel its bullying. Fortunately, I felt it was not bullying as I realised the instruction saved both my life and those that I may not know. Please look at the UK numbers of thousands of lives that were being lost to covid just 6 weeks ago and now with over 50% of adults vaccinated in the UK, today the news has reported a different story of a further 17 sad deaths of covid in the UK today. The UK schools are also now fully open and improving the mental health and education of millions. I hope those who doubt the vaccines don’t feel pushed or bullied but start to see it as safely helping them, their friends, family and community.