Are teachers afraid? A trade union demands swift vaccinations, digital work schedule

Photo: www.facebook.com/Pedagógusok Szakszervezete PSZ

The Democratic Trade Union of Teachers (PDSZ) is calling on the government to arrange the swift vaccination of teachers against Covid-19 and to introduce an online work schedule in the education sector.

In a letter addressed to the prime minister, the human resources minister, the innovation and technology minister and the state secretary for public education, PDSZ has demanded that teachers be among the first to be inoculated against Covid-19 with a vaccine approved by the European Union.

The union argued that both Education International and UNESCO have said

teachers should be a high-priority group when it comes to Covid vaccinations in order to safeguard the right to education.

The government should be tightening, rather than relaxing restrictions in the education sector, PDSZ said. Yet teachers are being sent back to schools from Monday and will remain vulnerable, they added. The union voiced criticism over the absence of safety measures in schools that have already been implemented elsewhere, like the requirement to wear face masks and the use of plexiglass barriers.

PDSZ said the

testing provided for teachers was not enough to ensure their protection,

arguing that teachers were only getting tested once and the testing centre itself was too far and difficult to access for many. Until an adequate level of protection is ensured and until enough people have been vaccinated, teachers should work online in the interest of protecting those employed in the public education sector and families, PDSZ said.

Featured image: illustration

Source: MTI

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