Education sector to be vaccinated nationwide

The education sector launches a national Covid-19 vaccination programme to get all people within the sector vaccinated in two weeks.

In Ekurhuleni, the programme was launched on June 23 at Rabasotho Community Hall, Thembisa. This is the Department of Basic Education’s strategic plan to curb the spread of the virus and protect its sector employees.

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi was one of the first to be vaccinated at the hall. He was joined by the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga.

ALSO READ: Nkabati embraces her new journey

Addressing the media, Lesufi said he would like to thank the minister of basic education as it was not an easy task to persuade those who had to decide to include educators in the programme.

“I would also like to thank the Deputy Health Minister, Mathume Joseph Phaahla, for the health sector to agree and incorporate educators into the vaccination programme,” said Lesufi.

“We have been working extremely hard to consult with our sector stakeholders and they all gave us the green light.

“We are targeting almost 125 000 staff members with almost 71 000 of the 125 000 being our educators. We have incorporated everyone in the sector from our general cleaners to food handlers.

“I am feeling well after taking the vaccine but obviously with mixed emotions, one being that finally this is going on. But there is another part that says we have lost a lot of time in education and, if we had this earlier, we would have protected the needs of our children.

“The experts have indicated that the closure and re-opening of our schools since last year, we have lost almost between three to five years of schooling.

“This is why I also emphasised to the managers of the department that we must vaccinate our educators within the given allocated time.

“The queue is long, so we must not be seen as greedy as the education centre by delaying progress and eventually asking for an extension. There are a lot of people who need to be vaccinated.

“I want to urge all our educators to take advantage of this opportunity of a lifetime and get vaccinated. This is a mission into protecting our precious cargo, the children, as they are the future of this country.

“There is no need to disrupt school, there is no case where a learner was hospitalised due to Covid. There are 1 087 teachers confirmed to have been tested positive.”
Phaahla said from the health side he would like to congratulate the education sector and the minister for finally procuring the vaccines.

“We very pleased that after all the battling we can assist the education sector with the vaccines. I am confident we will be able to finish in the given period of two weeks,” said Phaahla.

He also urged the members of the community at large to assist elders who are in their 60s and above to register and get vaccinated while time still permits.

“These are the Johnson and Johnson vaccines we have procured 300 000, 700 000 are still coming. In total, we will have 1.5 million doses. This is enough to get everyone jabbed.”

Motshekga addressed the media and said the department has enough doses to cover the target.

“Additional doses are on the way to South Africa. The government will be able to conclude the basic education programme within the 14 days. The Department of Education will continue to monitor the programme,” said Motshekga.

Based on a preliminary report by the health department, more than 48 000 educators and staff were vaccinated on the first day (June 23). These figures excluded Limpopo and Western Cape.

Contact the newsroom by emailing: Marietta Lombard (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za,  or (Journalists) Busi Vilakazi busiv@caxton.co.za