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By Caden Fanshaw

SD 57

SD57 Board of Education ‘carefully’ looking at COVID-19 vaccine policy

Oct 28, 2021 | 5:04 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The School District 57 Board of Education is proceeding with caution when it comes to making a decision on a potential COVID-19 vaccination policy.

School districts across the province will have to make the decision on their own whether to proceed with a vaccination policy or not after the government decided they would not implement a standard mandate.

Board of Education Chair Sharel Warrington referred to the potential requirement for employment as a policy, and not a mandate.

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“I think the word mandate has really confused people, and that is why the actual K-12 guidelines emphasize policy,” says Warrington. “We are just beginning the work.”

Warrington says there are many factors that need to be considered before a decision is made.

No school district in the province as of Thursday had put a vaccination mandate or policy into place.

“For local boards to make these decisions on their own, does complicate things,” says Warrington.

To put a vaccination policy or mandate into place a school district would have to go through four major steps as outlined in the guidelines set out by the Ministry of Education. Those steps include:

• Gathering initial vaccine data (vaccination status of all employees)
• Confirm alignment with legal advice
• Consult with employee groups and First Nations
• Vote on implementation

SD57 has merely begun this process, a survey on the vaccination status of employees has yet to be completed.

The BC Teachers Federation and CUPE BC both support vaccinations, but there are serious concerns around what a mandate would mean for the teacher shortage.

Joanne Hapke, President of the PG District Teachers Association has brought up concerns around a teacher shortage for many recent school board meetings.

Recently the PGDTA shared that over 1000 hours of service have been lost for students due to a lack in available TTOC’s.

The BCTF recently completed a survey of their members which showed 94% of respondents were fully vaccinated. The results specific to Northern BC are unknown at this time but are believed to be around 90%.

There is no timeline on when a vaccination policy could be implemented in School District 57, protest or not.

Warrington says the board is proceeding carefully.