Teachers who lost their jobs due to NSW vaccine mandates could be welcomed back to the classroom under a new proposal by the department of education, leaving some local teachers angry.
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The new policy put forward by the department will allow unvaccinated teachers to return to classrooms from Monday July 18, except for staff who work in Schools for Specific Purposes (SSPs) or support units and classes.
Wagga teacher John Enever was forced into a five-month hiatus from his job as a teacher at Gundagai High School when the mandate came into being in November last year, and he feels like it was all for nothing now that unvaccinated teachers will be allowed back into schools.
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"It was upsetting," said Mr Enever, who was not against vaccination, but instead wanted to wait to get the Novovax jab, which in November 2020 wasn't available in Australia.
"You study hard to be a teacher and you work hard all your life, and all of a sudden they do this to you.
"I thought it was a bit unfair, freedom of choice, I think we lost that."
Mr Enever said he understood why vaccines were mandated, but thought the department could have found a solution for teachers like himself.
Mr Enever took a mixture of sick leave and unpaid leave during his forced time off, but come March 23 this year, he was fully vaccinated and back in the classroom.
But he did fear at the time, that it could have been the end of his career.
"It was tough ... I thought I may have to do a manual labour job or something," he said.
"I'm happy for the teachers who can go back to their jobs. I am annoyed it happened in the first place ... But I'm back employed now, so it's fine."
Looking back, Mr Enever said that as COVID has been allowed to spread across the state, and most teachers have got the virus, the last seven months of mandates feel like they were for nothing, and his relationship with his employer has been irrevocably changed.
"You feel like just a number, you feel no loyalty from up top," he said.
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