Catholic Education SA could keep teacher Covid vaccine mandate, as Spurrier says unvaxxed teachers ‘risky’

Covid-19 vaccinations could stay compulsory for Catholic school teachers, as Professor Nicola Spurrier says unvaccinated teachers returning to schools could pose a safety risk.

Catholic Education plans to make staff Covid-19 vaccinations compulsory, despite the state’s mandated teacher jab requirement being lifted.

The organisation has begun consulting staff about its proposed new vaccination policy, which requires them – along with contractors and volunteers – to have the jab unless they are medically exempt.

Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said unvaccinated teachers returning to classrooms is “risky”.

“It’s a combined thing that certainly is very risky for them,” Prof Spurrier said.

“We know that there’s lots of children who have Covid at the moment and it is a risk.”

She said an aged cohort of teachers, mixed with higher risks of catching Covid if unvaccinated, could cause issues.

“Particularly the aged cohort of teachers, and many adults do have health problems, you know, already pre existing health problems, so it certainly is a work health and safety risk,” Prof Spurrier said.

“And I think that’s one of the things that the schools will be weighing up.”

Independent Eduction Union SA secretary Glen Seidel understood some independent schools were also looking to make vaccinations compulsory.

Catholic Education SA director Neil McGoran said his organisation was proposing the same rules that applied during the government’s mandate, which was lifted last week.

“We think the best thing to support the safety of our staff and students in Catholic Schools is to continue with vaccination,” he said.

Catholic Education SA director Neil McGoran at St Brigid's School in Kilburn. Picture: AAP/Emma Brasier

“Only staff with an approved medical exemption would be able to work unvaccinated.”

Less than 1 per cent of staff were not working because they had not been vaccinated, Dr McGoran said, and none had returned to work since the mandate was lifted.

He said other measures, such as mask wearing and social distancing, helped reduce infections but their effectiveness “depends on people applying them consistently and correctly”.

“They do not provide a substitute for the constant protection offered by vaccines, nor do they reduce the risk of developing serious illness once somebody acquires infection,” he said.

Independent Education Union secretary Glen Seidel. Picture Campbell Brodie.

Catholic Education’s employees, contractors, board members and volunteers have until April 20 to respond to the consultation.

Mr Seidel said the union was considering its position on vaccination requirements, which would centre on how much risk additional risk unvaccinated teachers brought into schools – especially amid low vaccination rates among children.

Only one in three South Australian children aged 5–11 have had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and 57 per cent have had one dose.

“If it’s not going to make a real difference (to safety) it wouldn’t be a reasonable impost on people to either exclude them from their work or to have punitive measures, such as making them do a RAT a day or to wear masks,” Mr Seidel said.

As of Thursday, March 31, unvaccinated public school staff have been required to do rapid antigen tests each day and wear a mask indoors.