MINISTER OF KNOWLEDGE: Guri Melby from the Liberal Party. Photo: Terje Bringedal
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Teachers and employees in schools and kindergartens can be prioritized in the vaccine queue, but only if the municipalities want it: – You are left with an experience of being cheated, says the Education Association.
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NRK announced on Tuesday night that employees in kindergartens and schools will get ahead so that they are fully vaccinated until the new school year starts.
– All teachers, employees in the kindergartens and SFO must be vaccinated when the kindergartens and schools start again in the autumn, Melby said to NRK.
But senior adviser Cathrine Slaaen in the Ministry of Education informs VG that it is not the case that teachers will be fully vaccinated before school starts, but that it is a matter of facilitating that everyone can be protected, ie that three weeks have passed since the first dose.
The Ministry of Education and Research announced on Tuesday that the municipalities can choose to prioritize employees in kindergartens, schools and after-school clubs, after health personnel and risk groups have been vaccinated.
– It is important that we get as near a normal and good start after the summer holidays as possible. Kindergartens, schools and SFO are planning for a green level, with fewer infection control measures. The delayed vaccine delivery means that we are now adjusting the priorities to ensure that as many of the employees as possible are protected, says Minister of Education and Integration Guri Melby (V) in a press release.
Utdanningsforbundet: – Very unfortunate
The leader of the Education Association, Steffen Handal, reacts to the fact that it will be up to the municipalities to decide whether teachers and kindergarten teachers should be given priority.
– This does not contribute to security, but confusion. I can not understand that the government can not make that decision itself. It seems strange. For employees in schools and kindergartens, this will contribute to insecurity, rather than giving them a sense of security, Handal tells VG.
—-STATED: Leader of the Education Association Steffen Handal. Photo: Trond Solberg
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– What do you think about the fact that many teachers and kindergarten employees in the last hour have been happy to be able to get a vaccine, but then it turns out that it depends on the municipalities?
– You are left with an experience of being cheated. I think it’s very unfortunate. This is unnecessary. Here the government must decide. I do not see the need for us to continue with this, back and forth.
The government’s decision comes as a result of Norway receiving fewer vaccine doses this summer than first assumed. Therefore, the government has come to the conclusion that the municipalities can choose to prioritize up to 10 percent of the vaccine doses to employees in kindergartens, schools and SFO, if they wish. This applies to the first dose of vaccine.
Melby: – Aware that it can lead to extra work
– I am aware that it can lead to some extra work for the municipalities to re-prioritize. I still hope that many will see it as a good opportunity, and that they manage to make it happen in a good way. I know that many municipalities also want to be able to secure employees in schools and kindergartens before the next school year, says Melby.
Mette Nord, leader of the Trade Union, is happy that the government “has come to its senses”. At the same time, she believes this comes legally late and criticizes that it should be up to the municipalities to dispense with vaccines.
– It can not be the case that it is up to the municipalities to make this decision. If this is to have a shred of credibility, the government must decide that we now vaccinate everyone who is in the front line, who provides care for our children every day and who still risks becoming infected with corona every day, says Nord.
Barely enough time before school starts
But whether the logistics go up and everyone is fully protected before school starts, is another matter, says parliamentary representative Torstein Tvedt Solberg in the Labor Party (Labor).
He thinks it is reprehensible that the change came so late.
– This is very good news, and something we have been asking for for a long time. But the government came a little at the last minute, and now I really just hope that there is enough time. An earlier decision would have given both the municipality and those to be vaccinated better time to plan. Now we do not have many weeks on us if we want to start as normal, says Tvedt Solberg to VG.
—-TOO LATE: Torstein Tvedt Solberg thinks the turnaround operation for the government is coming too late, and fears there will be little time for both the municipalities and the teachers to throw themselves around and change their vaccine plan in the middle of the summer holidays. Photo: Frode Hansen
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VG first spoke to the Labor politician before the government’s clarification that it will be up to the municipalities to prioritize teachers. He says this after VG contacted again:
– It makes a pretty big difference. It could create greater confusion about whether to get the vaccine or not, and add another concern for those who were now relieved and thought it was solved, says Tvedt Solberg.
– In addition, this makes it more complicated and cumbersome for the municipalities, and will potentially create a skewed geographical outcome. It is both unfortunate and unfair.
The teachers have previously called for priority in the vaccine queue and were among those who were disappointed when the government went in to vaccinate 500 so-called key personnel earlier this spring. Several of the Storting politicians who were then offered a vaccine, refused and said they would rather give their dose to a teacher instead – among others Tvedt Solberg.
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