The Sooke School District will survey staff and stakeholders on their thoughts about a vaccine mandate for teachers and staff.
“Since the beginning of this pandemic, keeping our students and employees safe and healthy has always been the top priority for our board of education,” Ravi Parmar, board chair, said in a statement.
“These steps that the board has taken closely align with the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Education and B.C. Public School Employers’ Association.”
READ MORE: Mandatory vaccination for B.C. school staff up to boards, says B.C. premier
Decisions about whether to implement vaccine mandates are up to each school district and aren’t handled on a provincial level.
B.C. Premier John Horgan defended the decisionsaying mandates are a last resort and elected board trustees know what’s needed for their communities rather than the province enforcing decisions.
The survey results will be gathered anonymously, along with consultation with Indigenous rights holders and employee groups and parent advisory councils.
After that, the board will decide whether to draft a policy on a vaccine mandate.
Neither the Sooke Teachers’ Association nor the Sooke Parents Education Advisory Council responded to multiple requests for comment.
ALSO READ: BCTF survey finds 94% of teachers fully vaccinated
bailey.moreton@goldstreamgazette.com
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