At their regular monthly meeting on January 25th, the Council of Commissioners of the Lester B. Pearson School Board unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the Quebec government to ensure staff working in schools and centres are considered essential employees and subsequently are viewed as a high priority group in the Quebec government's current COVID-19 inoculation plan.
"For many months our teachers and other school employees have remained steadfast in their determination to ensure our students can continue to study in classes in the midst of a global pandemic. The Lester B. Pearson School Board would therefore like to add its voice to the growing chorus of educational institutions who would like to see teachers and other front-line staff considered as priorities under the current vaccination plan." said Mr. Noel Burke, Chairperson of the LBPSB's Council of Commissioners.
According to the current plan, teachers and school staff have been placed in the second to last step of the priority list with the exception of those who have underlying health conditions.
"Since the start of the pandemic, our staff have demonstrated their commitment to students and shown great resilience. With the return to classes last fall, our teachers, support staff, caretakers, professionals and administrators have had to adapt their practices so that student learning can continue in the safest environment possible. Like many other essential workers in other sectors of Quebec society, our personnel should be considered a priority for vaccination to reduce their risk of exposure to the coronavirus," said Cindy Finn, Director General of the LBPSB.
The board's Council of Commissioners maintains that prioritizing vaccinations for teachers and education workers will also add an extra layer of protection in terms of preventing the spread of the virus in its schools while reducing risks for school employees as well as students and their families.
