Only 7,200 teachers have been vaccinated so far, while the total number of educational staff at the national level is 24,370.
The small number of immunized teachers is being assessed as a risk to the normal attendance of the new school year. While the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation say that there is no law that makes vaccination mandatory, the United Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture states that they will not object if teacher vaccination becomes mandatory.
Media in Kosovo indicate that in a written response from the Ministry of Health, it has been announced that so far in Kosovo have been vaccinated about 7 thousand 200 teachers.
“Based on the data so far, in Kosovo have been vaccinated against COVID-19 about 7200 teachers of different levels “, stated in the response of the MoH.
The small number of vaccinated educational staff is also seen as a concern for the United Education, Science and Culture Union. Ymer Ymeri, a representative of this union says for KosovaPress that there is no reason for teachers to refuse vaccination.
He points out that not vaccinating teachers could put the new school year at risk of starting with a physical presence in school facilities.
“Even for us as SBASHK, this small number of vaccination of educational workers is worrying, because as we know, the opportunity has been created for everyone to be vaccinated and not vaccinating educational workers can cause the teaching process not to start in schools. Therefore, we appeal once again to teachers, all educational workers, especially teachers, to be vaccinated because there is time to take both the first dose and the second dose before the school year begins. says Ymeri.
Ymeri stated that they will not object if a decision is made to make vaccination of teachers mandatory.
“If the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Education or the government of the Republic of Kosovo makes the start of work in September conditional for vaccinated teachers, we will not oppose that position of the government. We will not oppose the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo if they think that the issue of the beginning of the school year should be mandatory for teachers, that teachers should be the ones who should not hesitate or be guessed whether should they be vaccinated or not, because the only salvation from the virus is vaccination “, potencon ai.
On the other hand, the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dukagjin Pupovci, says that there is no law that obliges vaccination, but says that such a thing is a moral obligation.
However it calls for vaccination in order to enable the normal start of the new school year.
“There is no law that obliges someone to be vaccinated, in the case of teachers I consider that this is a moral obligation in the first place to oneself, to colleagues and to students. I take this opportunity to invite all teachers to be vaccinated in order to enable the normal start of the new school year, to maintain their health, the health of colleagues and children“, He says.
Teachers have been a priority category for vaccination, so that the regular teaching process will begin in September.
