In Ireland, teachers angry over decision to change vaccine strategy
Audio 01:17
Students are returning to a Brooklyn public school after a period of distance education linked to the coronavirus outbreak.
REUTERS - BRENDAN MCDERMID
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
Irish teachers must decide this Wednesday April 7 if they call a strike in the coming weeks.
In any case, they wish to protest against the government's decision to upset its vaccination strategy: instead of sorting the non-vulnerable population by profession, the order of priority is now based on age.
Meet these angry teachers.
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With our correspondent in Dublin,
Émeline Vin
For Barry Hennessy, professor of French in Dublin, the government has not taken into account the risks of teaching: “
When you teach, you don't sit in front of the class without moving.
Teaching is also about getting around, helping students… The size of classrooms varies enormously.
It is very difficult to maintain the distance between teachers and students.
"
It is not a privilege, recalls Linda O'Sullivan, primary school life support.
It is a question of continuity of public service.
“
Every day I am in contact with 10-20 people.
My potential contact cases are very numerous!
The goal is to keep schools open, but if we are not vaccinated, it just won't be possible,
”she explains.
A feeling of betrayal
The government explains that without chronic disease, age is the main risk factor.
David Geary of the National Teachers' Organization feels betrayed by the about-face.
“
The government promised us that we would be among the first third of the population to be vaccinated
,” he says.
What
we are asking for today is a double-file system: in parallel with the general vaccination, vaccinate essential workers, such as the police… and teachers.
"
In the absence of priority, teachers hope to be vaccinated before the next school year.
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See also: Ireland: the health crisis leads to a worrying increase in violence against men
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