EITHER make schools a safe zone so that everyone entering the compound is vaccinated or ensure no student who is unvaccinated is not discriminated against.
Chairman of the Concerned Parents' Movement of TT Clarence Mendoza made the call on Sunday, as he berated the Prime Minister's insistence that unvaccinated students are not being discriminated against.
At a press conference on Saturday, Dr Rowley said parents of unvaccinated children cannot say their children are being discriminated against because they are not being allowed on school compounds.
Instead, the PM said parents of unvaccinated children must see the issue as a consequence of their choice as they have the choice to vaccinate their children or not.
However, Mendoza said there are not only inconsistencies in the government’s policy for vaccinated students, but there’s also inconsistencies between the safe zone and educational policies.
And it is for those reasons, Mendoza said it leaves one to believe that unvaccinated students are being discriminated against.
For starters, Mendoza said not everyone entering school compounds are required to get vaccinated.
“We are aware that other (school staff) members entering school compounds are not vaccinated. We know some teachers, MTS workers and cleaners are not being checked by the gate like students.
“If the MTS guard at the gate is checking to see is vaccinated, then I think they themselves should check themselves first and be vaccinated to be on the compound.”
But apart from the inconsistencies in vaccination requirements to enter schools, Mendoza said if it is so important for students to be vaccinated then schools should be made safe zones and ensure everyone entering the compound is vaccinated.
“The Prime Minister has not said anything about our schools being a safe zone.
“We are now asking, is our school a safe zone? If it’s not a safe zone, then our children (both vaccinated and not) should be allowed to enter the school compound.”
“We at the Concerned Parents Movement think that the discrimination is clear and our children are being segregated also.”
He said the UN Charter, of which TT is a signatory, mandates that all children are afforded equal educational opportunities.
He said this will not be possible if, for example, some students are doing practicums in-person with teachers and some are not.
On Saturday, Rowley said if the World Health Organisation approves a vaccine for children below the age of 12, the Government would get it and make it mandatory.
However, Mendoza said, “At this point in time we don’t agree with vaccinating our children until proper standards are put in the place for those vaccines.
“I see where the government of TT is following the trend of other countries.”
While chairman of the Association of Denominational Boards of Education Sharon Mangroo opted to make no comments on the PM’s discrimination position, she is concerned like Mendoza about
