The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) said they were looking into requiring private school teachers to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as the government approved limited face-to-face classes in areas with minimal risk of infection.
Interviewed at the Laging Handa public briefing on Tuesday, COCOPEA Managing Director Atty. Joseph Estrada said that parents’ primary concern in allowing their children to attend face-to-face classes was whether the teachers were vaccinated.
“Kung titignan natin ‘yung ibang sectors… like ‘yung barbershops, mga dine-in ng restaurants, nire-require po na fully-vaccinated ‘yung mga gagamit po ng establishments,” Estrada said.
(If we look at other sectors, like barbershops and dine-in restaurants, they require that those who enter these establishments to be fully vaccinated.)
“I think we can also use that standard, lalong lalo na po sa amin sa private schools dahil mataas ‘yung demand din po sa amin, ‘yung responsibility and accountability sa amin pong estudyante at mga magulang dahil nga po sila ay nagbabayad ng tuition.”
(I think we can also use that standard, especially in private schools. The demand is high for us, especially our responsibility and accountability to students and parents because they are paying their tuition fees.)
Estrada reported that the vaccination rate of their teachers was high.
“Karamihan sa aming miyembro, sang-ayon po sila na kailangan pong magpabakuna,” he said.
(Most of our member schools agree that teachers need to be vaccinated.)
He said a survey of their member schools showed a substantial percentage of parents favored in-person classes.
Estrada added that the council also supported the pilot test of face-to-face classes, in which 20 private schools were expected to participate.
Estrada added they had asked the Department of Education (DepEd) for guidelines on the implementation of limited face-to-face classes, as well as the list of private schools that were chosen to participate in the test.
Meanwhile, citing data from the DepEd, Estrada reported that enrollment in private schools in 2021 was down to 60% of last year’s enrollees. — DVM, GMA News
COCOPEA mulls requiring full COVID-19 vaccination of private school teachers
Source: Pinoy Hub News
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