The Party of Socialists (PSRM) disputed in court the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission’s decision and demanded to annul the provision that obliges the education system employees to take COVID-19 tests at the own expense. The Socialists noted vaccination should be voluntary, not mandatory, IPN reports.
“Before the start of the new school year, the current government launched a series of actions aimed at harassing the people working in the education sector, including the teachers and professors. The country’s administration forces these people to get a vaccine or to pay for COVID-19 tests from their own salary that is often not enough to cover bare essentials following rises in the prices of most of the products,” the party said in a press release.
According to the PSRM, the actions taken by the new government give the impression that the mission of the new administration is to destroy the national education system and the schools. “Just several hours before the start of the new school year, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița made a really scandalous and offending statement in relation to teachers and professors. Gavrilița said those who refuse to get a vaccine “should look for another job”. Such a defying and arrogant attitude to the teaching staff on the part of the senior officials can lead to a crisis in education, when many teachers will leave the system,” said the Socialists.
The National Extraordinary Public Health Commission decided that the education process on September 1 will start with the physical presence of students and teachers in classrooms. The authorities recommended ensuring a vaccination rate of at least 95% among teaching and non-teaching staff until October 1. Until then, the unvaccinated teaching and ancillary staff will take a COVID-19 (PCR or rapid antigen) test once in 14 days at the own expense. The decision generated different reactions and criticism, including on the part of education trade unions. Mayor of Chisinau Ion Ceban said the commission’s decision remains null on the territory of the municipality of Chisinau.
Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița offered apologies following a program one day earlier in which she said that the teachers must get a vaccine if they want to return to a normal work program in classrooms or they can find another job. “This statement no way represents the Government’s policy. Our position to this issue remains unchanged – the teachers can refuse to get a vaccine and can continue teaching in classrooms as long as they regularly present a negative COVID-19 test result. We must offer a safe environment to children, teachers and parents. I apologize to the teachers who felt offended by my statement,” the Premier stated after the program.
