Pregnant teachers ‘incredibly stressed’ over return to school, ASTI says

The general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) has called on the Minister for Education to “have another look” at the position of unvaccinated pregnant teachers expected to return to school shortly.

“The Minister has a wider duty of care to these teachers,” Kieran Christie told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland.

Pregnant teachers were “incredibly stressed out” about the return to school especially given the high transmission rates of the Delta variant. They were losing sleep, he added.

The ASTI was trying to engage with the Department of Education about a recent circular that stated even those with a significant ailment or in a high-risk category must attend the workplace.

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“The Department of Education issued a circular some days ago, it deals with aspects in relation to people who have got significant ailments that puts them in what they call very high risk category and just to quote — it’s an astonishing line in a circular, it says and these people are pregnant as well, ‘high risk — you must attend the workplace’.

“Pregnant women want low risk or no risk in relation to their health and the health of their unborn children.”

Mr Christie pointed out that pregnant teachers who were not yet 14 weeks pregnant could not be vaccinated.

It was not acceptable pregnant teachers were expected to come into school – they would be terrified from when they arrived in the morning until they left in the evening, he said.

Mr Christie said the Minister’s party colleague Senator Lisa Chambers had called for “a relook” at the situation.

“It’s not sustainable.”