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JTA President Winston Smith
The Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) is hopeful that face-to-face classes will resume for high school students this month.
JTA President Winston Smith has said he will seek to get an update from the Ministry of Education on Monday on whether its plans have changed.
The ministry has proposed an October 14 resumption date, if at least 65 per cent of the student population of each school is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
However, this may not materialise as the country awaits more shipments of the Pfizer vaccine brand, which high school students are to receive.
Still, Mr. Smith is optimistic, saying he would be "happy for that" if the resumption can go ahead on October 14.
The JTA president said the Ministry of Education should not lower the vaccination target for students.
Mr. Smith also does not believe that the Ministry of Health erred in opening inoculation with the Pfizer brand to adults.
The government had initially said the Pfizer vaccine was to be given to children 12 years and older to facilitate the reopening of face-to-face school. However, it shifted its position, allowing adults to choose freely from the three vaccine brands available - AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.
A recent RJRGLEANER Don Anderson poll found that Jamaicans who had a preference of which vaccine they wanted to take, found the Pfizer shot more favourable.
That preference was visible when there was a rush on vaccination centres after the government announced adults could choose.
There was no such rush when almost 60,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses expired last week.
While the JTA president acknowledged that he had "hoped that students would take the Pfizer jab," he reasoned that "students are not able to act on their own, they need their parental involvement and support of the thing."
He added that if there was not enough demand from students, then it was right to give teachers, caregivers, janitors, watchmen, and some parents, the opportunity to get that vaccine.
Linvern Wright, President of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools, has said a mid-October resumption of face-to-face classes in high school looks unlikely.
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