The Age is reporting that Victorian teachers feels as though they are “sacrificial lambs” to the coronavirus after some are being called to return to the classroom:
- “We’re in this completely un-COVID-safe environment. It doesn’t make sense”, VCE English teacher Michelle Parker (aged under 40) said.
- “I’ll be in close contact with hundreds of people a day and virtually unable to socially distance in small, poorly ventilated classrooms with up to 26 students”.
- Schools had supposedly been “blindsided” by the decision to extend lockdown but send all regional students and Melbourne VCE students back to face-to-face teaching.
- “There was a lot of shock. We were not expecting at all for year 11 and 12 to go back and a lot of people are feeling like we’re sacrificial lambs”, Parker said. “This feels like one kick in the guts too many”.
Why are the small percentage of teachers required to go back to face-to-face learning a protected breed?
Childcare and kindergarten has remained open throughout the lockdown and I don’t see these workers complaining? This despite small children being far bigger germ/virus spreaders than mask-wearing teenagers.
Nor are healthcare workers complaining, who have been the real “sacrificial lambs” throughout the pandemic.
I don’t see supermarket workers complaining; yet they are arguably in much riskier (and lower paying) jobs given they come into potential contact with hundreds of different random people on a given shift – not the same cohort of people each day (which can easily be contact traced).
My wife is a hands-on healthcare professional that treats people via close contact. She has remained working throughout the lockdown and is grateful to be able to do so. Her job is far riskier than a teacher because she sees a dozen-plus different people each shift, not the same group of students. Hence, the risk of transmission is much higher. She is also not yet vaccinated because she could not secure an early booking.
Finally, there are many people across Victoria that are losing income because they cannot work. They would love to be in the teachers’ position.
Like everyone else, teachers have a job to do. So harden up.
