I am calling upon the UK government to prioritise vaccinating our country's school teachers. Teachers are still having to go in to schools to look after the children of key workers and the vulnerable. Many people are not aware of this.

This leaves them in the company of potentially the most risky carriers of Covid-19 or the new, quick-spreading strain, without any option of rejecting their work. 

My mum is a primary school teacher and has carried on throughout the entire period of previous lockdowns too. Although the schools have been announced as closed, this is not the case. I'm sure she is not the only teacher that is anxious about going to work, especially without the prioritisation of the recently available vaccine.

In the classroom, children aren't expected to wear masks and although teachers may have the option to wear them, they know that having their face covered can affect clear communication while the children are learning. For children with learning difficulties and extra needs, seeing a whole face with expression or being able to lip read is a vital part of their understanding.

The government have been so clear about the importance of education, which I understand, yet with little thought to how much this could affect teacher's wellbeing and ultimately, safety. If teachers are not given the option to protect themselves soon and are taken unwell, the consequences could be catastrophic to the entire education department. 

I am calling upon the UK government to please prioritise vaccinating the teachers who are continuing to risk their lives to look after the children that still have to go in to schools.