Teachers reminded to get their jabs as students return to school

Education Minister Radzi Jidin has issued a reminder as schools reopen that teachers who refuse to be vaccinated against Covid-19 could face strict action including termination of service.

A Twitter post by his communications team last night said the service circular issued by the Public Service Department (PSD) on Oct 18 applies to all public officials including teachers who choose not to be vaccinated without any concrete reason.

“Beginning Nov 1, any official in the public service who refuses to be jabbed without a medical reason can be terminated,” it added.

The PSD Service Circular No 4/ 2021 on the Covid-19 Immunisation Implementation Policy for Federal Public Service Officers states that any officer who fails to comply with the instructions of the head of department can face disciplinary action or termination of service.

Officers who cannot complete their Covid-19 vaccinations due to health factors meanwhile could be instructed to undergo a medical check-up with a registered medical practitioner.

They may also be instructed by the head of department to undergo a Covid-19 test if they have been confirmed unfit to receive the vaccination for health reasons.

“Officers are responsible for obtaining complete Covid-19 immunisation as prescribed by the government. This is to ensure a safe work environment and service delivery, as well as public service productivity of an optimal level,” read the circular.

This followed the PSD’s announcement on Sept 30 that all federal civil servants are required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 before Nov 1.

On Sept 22, Radzi said 90.5% of teachers in the country had been fully vaccinated as of Sept 20.

He also said that 85.8% of administrative staff and 79.2% of support staff had completed their vaccination while 7.2% of teachers, 11.4% of administrators and 15.1% of support staff were awaiting their second dose.

Radzi had previously stated on several occasions that teachers who refuse to be vaccinated would not be allowed to teach face-to-face classes when schools reopen.

In mid-September, it was reported that more than 100 teachers in Terengganu were refusing Covid-19 jabs.

As of last week, meanwhile, some 300 teachers in Perak had yet to be vaccinated against the highly contagious virus.

State Education, Higher Learning and Human Resource Committee chairman Ahmad Saidi Mohamad Daud said based on the information received, the unvaccinated teachers were still waiting for their vaccination appointments through MySejahtera, while some had yet to register.