STF calls for mandatory vaccinations for education sector, including students 12 and up

Moving into the 2021 school year, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) wants every eligible person involved with the education sector to be vaccinated.

That was their call to the government Tuesday. STF President Patrick Maze told 650 CKOM that his executive is pushing for the change.

“I think its a responsibility that we have both to our students and to our employees, our colleagues in the education system to keep everyone safe,” he explained before pointing to those in the unvaccinated group, up to age 12.

“Yet, the varients seem to be affecting lower, and lower age thresholds. We’re quite concerned.”

When it comes to the educators, Maze said it’s about having a safe workspace. He added that there is the potential for individual job action for these educators, on a case-by-case basis.

“Absolutely, and it wouldn’t be an en masse, across the province situation,” he explained. “A teacher would have to discuss with their employer, and let them know that their work situation is unsafe.”

Maze said if the workplace isn’t able to be worked out between the educator and the employer, it would then become an Occupational Health and Safety complaint.

“At this point, we are hoping that employers are taking this very seriously. That said, the province has been giving the wrong signals all summer to basically say, ‘it’s over, and we’re taking off all restrictions in our schools.’ We can’t social distance and we know that up to age 12 students can’t be vaccinated — we have to be concerned for their health.”

Maze said the government has the ability to make these decisions, yet it has been passed down to the school division level.

“Then, we end up with 27 different responses all across the province…it ends up being kind of a hodgepodge right across the province,” he said.

In making vaccines mandatory, Maze believes it would be a uniform response, with scientific backing.

“It’s frustrating, people not taking that seriously,” he continued.

Maze said in looking at the data on the variants, particularly the Delta, it’s rising exponentially across the world. He said we’re “foolish” if we don’t think the numbers will rise here at home, in Saskatchewan.

“It’s going to hit Saskatchewan hard, soon,” he said.

If it comes to a teacher who refuses to get vaccinated, Maze said other options would be considered, including online learning.

“Potentially, they could be assigned to online teaching. The other options are, they may need to submit to regular rapid testing or regular testing,” he explained. “Strict masking provisions, that sort of thing.”

Maze said it’s frustrating that a lot of the mistakes made last school year, they’re happening again in 2021.

“It would be irresponsible not to be starting up with masks, and appropriate sanitization, and social distancing as much as possible. The most effective way to get around all of that would be forcing everybody who is eligible to get vaccinated. We’re trying to cut that off, right at the start.”

Moe delivers provincial response

During Premier Scott Moe’s press conference Tuesday on BHP giving the go-ahead on the Jansen potash mine, he took questions from the media. This includes addressing Maze’s STF concerns for those in the education system.

“No, it’s not something the government has discussed to this point,” he answered, before asking those in Saskatchewan to take a look at the vaccination data and make their own decision.

“Look at how effective vaccines are,” he said. “I understand there’s some that have made a different decision to not get vaccinated. I disagree with that decision.”