Laura Doel, Director of NAHT Cymru said: “Our education workforce is being relied upon to lead Wales out of the pandemic. They are being required to work with large groups of people who carry at least as much potential for infection as anyone else. Those groups often occupy confined and unventilated spaces for long periods of time with only rudimentary PPE.
“The fact that it may have added some complexity to roll out according to the JCVI is not a good enough reason not to prioritise the needs of committed professionals. A sick teacher is a teacher away from class which will mean further disruption to pupil’s education and could well mean that they may need to be educated from home again.
“We call upon the Welsh Government to take a different view, to live up to its promise to the people of Wales to make education a priority and do all it can to support a safe and sustainable return by choosing to prioritise school staff for vaccinations. We do not believe that teachers should be vaccinated at the detriment of the clinically vulnerable, but as front line staff they should be protected now that those in the greatest danger have already been vaccinated.”
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