Labor unions: Publish teacher Covid hospitalization stats

A number of teachers' unions, including CNV Onderwijs, want more clarity on how the coronavirus affects teachers. They are asking public health institute RIVM to publish teachers’ hospitalization and mortality statistics along with the general coronavirus infection numbers in the weekly report, RTL Nieuws reports.

Currently, the RIVM releases information on how many teachers have contracted the disease but not the number of deaths or how many educators have been admitted to hospitals. The unions claim that with these numbers a better prediction can be made on the safety of reopening schools.

“Especially now that we are in unknown territory with the British coronavirus variant do educators have more need for further information,” a spokesperson for the CNV Onderwijs said to RTL Nieuws. The union believes that only with more knowledge on the mistakes being made can a better solution be found for the future.

Peter Althuizen, president of the teachers' association Leraren in Actie (LIA), completely agrees. “At the moment, educators that are teaching physical lessons have incomplete information. Complete information could convince teachers to opt for fully halting physical lessons.” Althuizen believes the only exception should be made for children with a vulnerable background or whose parents are essential workers.

The LIA's schools' hotline so far received reports of nine teachers dying due to complications from the coronavirus. Althuizen called these numbers are shocking.

The RIVM declined to report the official numbers. The institute said there are no plans to release more data on the health status of teaching professionals.