The department of basic education sets the record straight regarding the ‘No Jab, No job’ rumour
The vaccine rollout was followed by rumors and conspiracy theories circulating online which created fear and anxiety among teachers who got the jab and the department of health is playing its part in educating the public about the vaccine and how it works.
When teachers’ vaccination rollout finally kicked off, thousands of teachers went for the jab, however, the vaccine rollout generally brought mixed emotions as others could not get vaccinated because of various reasons including illness, COVID-19 positive cases, flu vaccines and hesitancy. At the close of the vaccination programme in the sector more than 517,000 education personnel out of 582,000 had received their vaccines.
The vaccine rollout was followed by rumors and conspiracy theories circulating online which created fear and anxiety among teachers who got the jab and the department of health is playing its part in educating the public about the vaccine and how it works.
Following misleading reports and misinformation regarding the Department of Basic Education’s circular 4 of 2021 distributed to schools, the department has since disputed these reports and said that the “no jab, no job” narrative emanating from an article carried in a Johannesburg-based newspaper has seemingly created confusion and fear among teachers.
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The Department has also stated that it is aware that an extract from the 7-page circular has been shared on social media platforms resulting in unnecessary anxiety and panic among teachers who did not vaccinate. To the set the record straight, the department said that the circular which was issued when schools reopened for principals and management teams, was issued to assist in managing cases where some teachers did not vaccinate.
“The purpose of Circular 4 of 2021 (dated 23 July 2021 and signed by the Director-General, Mathanzima Mweli) was to provide guidance regarding the operational requirements for educators employed in terms of the Employment of Educators Act of 1998 following the implementation of the Basic Education Sector COVID-19 Vaccination Programme,” said the department spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga.
“The circular also serves as a guide to managing vulnerable employees in the context of the current pandemic. The Department has strongly recommended that education sector personnel should get vaccinated but at no stage did DBE seek to compel employees to be vaccinated. In fact, in the circular the Department says that it respects the rights of educators who opt not to be vaccinated on constitutional, religious, cultural, comorbidity or medical grounds,” Mhlanga added.
The department also stated that teachers who opted not to get the jab or are concerned about their comorbidity or medical condition/illness should apply to the relevant Provincial Education Department for leave. These teachers will be dealt with in terms of the relevant leave and sick leave.
It further explained that teachers who are not in a position to satisfactorily perform their duties required of them or because of a medical condition, such matters will be handled in terms of the Labour Relations Act read in conjunction with the Employment of Educators Act.
“Where a teacher simply refuses to report for duty without a valid reason and based on a reasonable instruction by the employer, such matters will be handled in terms of the disciplinary procedures of the Employment of Educators Act. The circular seeks to provide steps that must be taken to accommodate teachers who are not able to vaccinate for a variety of reasons,” Mhlanga said.
The Department urges everybody in the sector to apply the contents of the circular appropriately in order to meet the intended objective of assisting in creating stability in the schooling system under the COVID-19 conditions.
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