B.C. school vaccine guidelines don’t go far enough, says parent
Posted October 26, 2021 6:51 am.
Days after the B.C. government released a framework for school districts to figure out how to put in vaccine policies for teachers and other staff, stakeholders are raising some red flags.
Gord Lau, the chair of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council, is worried districts are being given what amounts to a green light to do their own thing.
“Some commenters have noted that this will certainly lead to disparity. Larger boards in the Metro area will say, ‘yes, this is something that we can do and we have the financial resources to fend off any legal challenges,’ while other districts may not be able to research or implement a mandate,” he explained.
Lau says districts need reassurance the province will back them up if they get in a battle with unionized workers, and it doesn’t look like that’s the case right now.
“I think that these layers of protection may be required for some time. Certainly, the vaccine mandate seems like it might be around for a while in health care, for example. I think getting to it eventually would be a good thing, but sooner would be better than later,” he told CityNews.
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Last week, the province released new guidelines to help school boards with their policies, should they choose to bring mandates in. The Ministry of Education noted it would also work with schools, public and private, to make sure they have the tools and resources to support the process.
The nine-page document came after the province convened an advisory committee.
However, Lau believes the guidelines released on Friday are lacking.
“They don’t provide legal or financial resources for districts to actually implement these things,” he told CityNews. “Again, it doesn’t provide those many districts the resources or the reassurance that the province is backstopping them. I did certainly find that, again, a little bit concerning.”
Despite his concerns, Lau says he sees the guidelines as a start, and hopes to see more from the province and ministry.
The first step the guidelines outline is to for school districts to gather data on vaccination rates among their staff. The province suggests this could increase uptake, however, if the audit isn’t successful in boosting numbers, the guidelines suggest the next step would be for districts to seek legal advice to ensure their planned policies don’t go against employment law, the human rights code, or individuals’ freedom and rights.
The province also recommends districts consult with their communities on potential policies.
While Lau points to various measures the province has brought in across all districts, such as the mask mandate, he hopes to see more done.
“We’ve asked the province to do more to ensure to make sure there’s a minimum level of service for each district. So some examples there, beyond the mask mandate, are exposure notifications, this vaccine mandate, and information about ventilation. As much as the districts are independent, we’re asking the province to provide some minimum level of service for each district,” he said, noting parents need a consistent level of information so they can make informed decisions when it comes to their children’s wellbeing.
-With files from Liza Yuzda
