Itâs a dark, miserable night. Youâve been teaching all day, you came home to mark your studentsâ work, help your own children with their homework, cook dinner, tidy up and get ready for the next day. And now thereâs a union meeting over an hourâs drive away where youâd be discussing standing orders and arguing about all the problems at work? Itâs understandable that many teachers will take a hard pass.
Since the Covid crisis began last year, however, those in-person meetings have all moved online â and all three unions say attendance and engagement is up significantly, with some branches have reported a fivefold increase in the numbers showing up.
Under the current plan, teachers do not receive priority on the government s vaccine rollout schedule and are set to receive their vaccine along with the rest of the population.
This change came after teachers were originally scheduled to receive the vaccine after frontline heath care workers. The new system is nw based on age, rather than profession.
Unions have said that any strike action will not affect the reopening of schools after Easter break. Rather, they would likely be planned for later on this year, potentially disrupting primary school s current academic year or the next academic year at secondary level.
I understand that sense of disappointment,” she said.
“For the past 12 months, we have been managing and living alongside a global pandemic which presents a significant threat to our healthcare systems and to our more vulnerable citizens. In all of these months, we have had to be flexible and resilient. We have had to adapt to new circumstances and challenges as they present themselves. And throughout it all, we in the education sector have been guided by public health and medical experts.
“At a briefing last Thursday for representatives of education unions and management bodies, Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, and Dr Kevin Kelleher of the HSE, presented the medical evidence underpinning the recent changes to the vaccine programme.
At the opening of the INTO congress, union president Mary Magner called on the Government to reverse last weekâs decision.
âWe had a promise from the Government we took in good faith. However, the rug has been pulled out from under us,â she said.
âWe will spend time later in congress on this important matter and I implore the Minister to announce a U-turn in her address later.â
Expert guidance
A spokesman for Minister for Education Norma Foley â who is due to address the INTO on Tuesday afternoon â said it remained her position that the vaccination programme should be guided by public health experts.
Education Minister Norma Foley is under pressure to deliver a U-turn on teacher Covid vaccinations today – or face possible strike action in schools within weeks.