Province unveils guidelines for school boards to make decision on staff vaccine mandates

There’s been some uncertainty in recent weeks over vaccine mandates for teachers and other staff members at schools across British Columbia.

Earlier in October, Premier John Horgan said that the decision to make vaccines mandatory for school staff would be up to each individual school board.

Today, the Province unveiled guidelines that it says have been developed to support school boards, as well as independent school authorities, to make this decision.

"From the beginning of the pandemic we have worked together - to keep students safely learning in-class, to encourage all eligible British Columbians to get vaccinated and to make sure school safety plans are robust and supported," said Jennifer Whiteside, minister of education.

"With guidelines now available, trustees can make decisions around vaccination policies that work best for their communities as we work together to continue to support a culture of vaccination in our schools."

The Ministry of Education created the guidelines alongside a number of partners.

That includes the BC School Trustees Association, BC Teachers’ Federation, CUPE, the First Nations Education Steering Committee, the Federation of Independent Schools Association and school district leadership associations.

The Office of the Provincial Health Officer was consulted as well.

According to the Province, the guidelines “provide a roadmap” to enable school boards to make an informed decision on vaccination policies.

Throughout the process, the Ministry of Education will continue to work with school boards to ensure they have the tools, resources and information they need to support the process.

Inside the guidelines, the “roadmap” outlines five steps:

1. Gather data and evidence in alignment with privacy rules.
2. Confirm alignment with legal advice, public health guidance and orders.
3. Consult with employee groups and First Nations and engage community.
4. Decide whether to create a proof of vaccination policy and announce decision.
5. Implement operational plan.

“If boards and authorities choose not to follow the steps as outlined in this document, they should be aware there may be legal or financial implications,” the guidelines read.

You can see the guidelines online by clicking this link.