Surrey parents disappointed with lack of vaccine mandate for teachers, school staff

Many parents in Surrey, which is home to B.C.’s largest school district, say they’re surprised and disappointed with the school board’s decision not to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for teachers and staff.

Some are angry and disappointed, saying younger children still can’t be vaccinated and this decision means their kids will remain vulnerable and at risk.

“I thought it was a typo. When I saw the tweet, I thought there’s no way. This is shocking,” said parent Tassi Redekop. “I think it’s not taking the temperature of the community.”

She feels the school board missed the mark when it chose not to require vaccinations for staff. Her kids are in grades eight and 11, and is thankful they are both vaccinated.

However, she’s dismayed some of their teachers may not be.

“Most people in B.C. are vaccinated and most teachers are supported by the community. And I think [the district] is not hearing what the staff and students have been doing for the last 18 months,” Redekop told CityNews.

On Tuesday, the Surrey Board of Education announced that after consulting with public health officials, the Ministry of Education, and the Public School Employers’ Association, it had determined schools are a low-risk setting for transmission and 100 per cent vaccination is not required to keep everyone safe.

Surrey Schools added it weighed the pros and cons of a vaccine mandate and paid particular attention to guidance from public health, which has not recommended a mandate at this point.

“As parents, I think we’re just confused as to why this was not mandated,” said Rani Sanghera with the Surrey District Parent Advisory Council.

Vaccines are only approved for people 12 years and older in Canada. The federal health agency is currently reviewing shots for children as young as five, but it’s unclear when exactly a decision will come.

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Sanghera says that means the school board needs to step up.

“Parents wanted, especially those vulnerable children who cannot be vaccinated, to have that extra layer of protection, especially when our kids are in school five days a week. They’re there six to seven hours a day. They see the staff, the teachers day-in, day-out. I think that extra layer of protection would have been welcome,” she said.

Surrey parent Jind Singh agrees.

“Considering how hard-hit the Surrey school district was at one point, you would have thought that perhaps it would have been first in line,” he said of the district’s refusal to bring in a vaccine mandate.

“We’ve been living on a diet of nerves, unfortunately now, for quite some time thanks to the pandemic,” Singh told CityNews. “Our mentality is every little bit can help. So, if there was a mandatory vaccine program for the teachers, it would be wonderful.”

Redekop says she’s even heard from many teachers who say they too are disappointed with the decision, and wish the board would revise its move.

“I recognize that most teachers in B.C. are vaccinated, most school staff are vaccinated. This is a minority and I think that it is quite concerning that the Surrey school board has made this decision,” she said.

However, one teacher says he’s not surprised with the district’s decision.

Speaking to CityNews anonymously, the educator, who teaches science, admits he’s disappointed, but not all too concerned.

“We were already at a high vaccination rate, even compared to the general population as was. So I think most teachers weren’t really expecting a mandate,” he said, adding he saw many teachers at the local district’s vaccination clinic.

“I don’t know any science teachers that aren’t vaccinated. So, those in the know are the ones that seem to be getting vaccinated and even those that aren’t in my department, at least that I’ve talked to, it sounds like, or at least looks like, were mostly vaccinated as well,” he added.

He says his disappointment with the school board’s decision comes down to what kind of message it sends.

“It does send a message to students that, perhaps, [the board is] not so serious about the vaccines, and that’s not really the message we want students to get,” he said.

-With files from Tim James