An Aberdeen head teacher has called for schools to be given Covid jab supplies to vaccinate their own teachers.
All nursery and school children from P1-3 are expected to return to the classroom next week, as are some senior pupils who need school resources to complete coursework.
Scottish ministers will make a final decision later today on whether this move will still go ahead.
But Robin Macpherson from Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen has hit out at a lack of support for front line staff.
He said: “I appreciate that the government has prioritised vaccinating the most vulnerable groups in society, but I believe that there needs to be a parallel strategy for education.”
The independent school – which boasts alumni including Michael Gove and Standard Life Aberdeen vice-chairman Martin Gilbert – has been running a critical workers’ service for between 80 and 100 children every day.
If young students head back to school next week, this will add 200 more children to the rolls.
The estimated 8% of senior students requiring school resources will boost this figure by a further 86.
Mr Macpherson said he is “aware” of some teachers in the north and north-east being offered Covid jabs in recent weeks, but wants more clarity on the way forward and when his staff can be given some peace of mind.
The teacher has also asked if his school can be given supplies of the vaccine so in-house medical staff can administer it themselves.
Current set-up ‘gives little comfort’
“We have a team of five nurses at Robert Gordon’s, two of whom have volunteered to give vaccinations in extra shifts at local hubs,” he said.
“We have the capacity to vaccinate our own school community if the vaccines were to be provided to us, and we would happily allocate resources to support the NHS by vaccinating as many people beyond our immediate school community as we can.
“We are fully supportive of government measures, but I must admit that I have been disappointed that teachers and educators have not been explicitly considered in the vaccination strategy before now.
“To produce a road map outlining nine main groups for vaccination by May, with no consideration for education, is not good enough.
“The first minister has argued that there are many teachers in the over-50 category, but this is totally inadequate for the full return to school and gives little comfort to the majority of my staff.
“If the priority is to get schools functioning again, educational staff must be vaccinated as soon as possible.”
Mr Macpherson asked West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MP Andrew Bowie for help, who has now written to Health Secretary Jeane Freeman to ask for support.
He said: “Whilst I fully understand the Scottish Government’s decision to prioritise the most vulnerable groups in society, I am nevertheless concerned about the apparent lack of strategy relating to those working in the education sector.
“My purpose in writing is to enquire whether the Scottish Government will firstly, consider publishing a roadmap for the vaccination as it relates to those in the education sector and secondly, explore offers of help such as the one proposed by Mr Macpherson.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We are providing the vaccine to people on a priority basis as set out by the independent expert clinicians and scientists on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
“The priority list has been designed to target those most at risk from the virus and a proportion of teaching staff and wider education workforces will fall within the list and will be offered the vaccine in line with this.
“We are currently working to consider whether some key worker groups, including school staff and childcare workers, could be considered a priority for vaccination once the clinically high-risk groups have been vaccinated.
“Staff working with children and young people with specific complex additional support needs are already being prioritised for vaccination.”
