SEN. SHERWIN Gatchalian called on the National Task Force Against Covid19 to give priority to public school teachers when the government starts to roll out its vaccination drive against the coronavirus disease.

The senator said that including teachers and non-teaching staff is crucial in ensuring the safety of schools.

This will build confidence for the resumption of face-to-face classes, he added.

Gatchalian said that the country’s more than 900,000 teachers and non-teaching staff have served as frontliners to ensure learning continuity for more than 22 million students.

The lawmaker recalled that when teachers were preparing for the implementation of distance learning, they risked their health and safety by distributing learning materials.

Gatchalian earlier said that reopening the schools should be a priority to prevent an exacerbation of the learning crisis.

He cited the results of global assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment 2018, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2019, and the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics 2019 which showed Filipino students lagging behind their peers from other countries.

“Dahil ang ating mga guro, mga punong-guro, at kawani ng mga paaralan ay nagsisilbing mga frontliners sa pagpapatuloy ng edukasyon, nararapat lamang na mabilang sila sa mga unang makakatanggap ng bakuna laban sa Covid19. Mahalagang hakbang ito upang matiyak natin na ang pagbabalik ng ating mga mag-aaral sa mga paaralan ay magiging ligtas,” Gatchalian said.

He added that schools and local government units should ensure access to testing and treatment for teachers and non-teaching staff.