The President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association believes that teachers should be moved up on the vaccine priority list as more students return to the classroom.

On Wednesday, high school students will move to the blended online and in-class model, joining the K-9 system that has been fully in the classroom for some time.

Dean Ingram notes that Chief Medical Officer Dr. Janice Fitzgerald has expressed how important in-school learning is, yet teachers are at the lower end of the phase 2 rollout.

Ingram believes that indicates a disconnect and shows a lack of concern for teacher safety.

Speaking at last week’s COVID briefing, Dr. Fitzgerald addressed concerns surrounding teaching vaccination timelines.

Their position on the timelines has not changed. She says they recognize how important it is to get teachers vaccinated, but higher-risk priority groups are their focus at the moment.