'Absolute disgrace' PM's roadmap doesn't include vaccinating school staff, says teacher

22 February 2021, 18:07 | Updated: 22 February 2021, 18:08

Furious trainee teacher brands PM's roadmap 'an absolute disgrace'

By Fiona Jones

This trainee teacher refuses to return to school on March 8 unless he receives a Covid jab, branding it an "absolute disgrace" that the Prime Minister's roadmap to recovery does not include vaccinating staff.

Boris Johnson has announced his "roadmap" out of lockdown, which aims to get life in England back to as close to normal as possible by July.

All pupils will return to classrooms from March 8, with secondary school children to wear face masks in schools corridors and classrooms.

Caller Stephen told LBC he felt "extreme disappointment" after hearing Boris Johnson's roadmap as he wants vaccination before he returns, as he has a pregnant wife and fears passing on Covid-19.

He continued: "I think it's an absolute disgrace to even consider schools going back on March 8 without even taking into account...if [teachers] catch it, there'll be more teachers off again, the schools will get called off again, and we may not go to lockdown in that case but the schools may end up having to cancel classes because our teachers aren't there."

Top virologist: 'Teachers should be vaccinated as part of roadmap'

Eddie pointed out that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer pointed out that teachers could have been vaccinated "in one weekend."

Stephen told Eddie he had listened to the response from the Labour leader - but it was said "in the midst of everything else" so it was ultimately "brushed to the side."

"The response never comes," Stephen said, "so for me at the moment sitting here wanting to get a vaccine, I'm going late to the vaccine centres trying to get the leftovers and being told they're allocated to somewhere else but actually they're being thrown away.

"I'm in a position where I am not going to be able to go back into the school on March 8, and unless I'm vaccinated at least a couple of weeks beforehand," he said.