VACCINES HOLD the promise of delivering us from the jaws of a deadly microscopic giant called the coronavirus, which has unleashed on humanity its deadly venom with clinical precision. Along with the adherence to established protocols - mask wearing, physical distancing and regular hand washing/sanitising - vaccinating the majority of the citizenry is the only way in which life can return to some semblance of normalcy.
Undoubtedly, one of the biggest casualties of the covid19 pandemic is the denial of the rights of children to quality education. The closure of schools and a concomitant switch to virtual learning served to deprive many children of valuable education opportunities, exacerbating social and economic inequalities with long-term implications.
As we strive to achieve herd immunity, it is unfortunate that there are many people who ignore and castigate scientific guidance, opting instead to embrace untruths and unsubstantiated opinion as their armoury to discredit the vaccination effort. It is a continuation of the contempt that social media has introduced into the global discourse, wherein many people foolishly believe that if lies and untruths are repeated often enough they become fact. In this world of unregulated and absolute free speech, fundamental human rights and civic responsibilities are relegated to infamy, even while confronting a pandemic.
Driven by contemptuous political agendas, aspersions and doubts are showered over trusted institutions that were laboriously nurtured and meant to serve the public good. Personal political agendas and unfounded fears take precedence over established scientific principles and procedures that form the basis of the advancement of humanity.
In this warped social and political dialogue are our children, looking, imbibing and emulating thinking patterns and behaviours that are devoid of personal responsibility for the preservation of life. These narratives are shamelessly bereft of higher-order cognitive skills of analysis and evaluation which their conspirators and subscribers are compelled to prevail upon others.
Vaccine hesitancy is the outcome of the staggering power of ignorance; the ability of weak men with national microphones to sow distrust in medicine and denial of science. It is a scenario that must serve to redefine our role as educators, wherein ignorance has assumed a new density and power. While truth demands time to gain traction, lies can zoom by cheering crowds. Teachers now have an additional moral and social responsibility to exert informed influence, formally and informally, in logical and constructive ways to dispel such ignorance that pockets of society insist on pedalling.
Democratic societies are founded upon the creation and maintenance of trusted institutions that function for the public good. Whenever the integrity or intent of these institutions are questioned, by bigoted motives, the public good is thus threatened. Educators, among their many roles and in their quest to promote and maintain democracy, must position them
