Students across California protest against the COVID-19 mandate
People are questioning their political rights and freedom as a mandate was passed on October 1, 2021 by California Governor Gavin Newsom requiring students to get the COVID-19 vaccine to be able to attend public, private or charter schools. This mandate will go into effect either in January or July of 2022, depending on when vaccines will get approved for all age groups, as the mandate applies to all students from kindergarten to 12 grade, as well as all school employees. If this mandate doesn’t change, by next school year everyone going to school, whether that school is funded by the government or not, will be vaccinated. Newsom is also encouraging school districts to enforce their own mandates ahead of the state’s plan. However, since the order comes from the governor not the Legislature, there are loopholes for families that don’t agree or don’t feel comfortable vaccinating their children. Exemptions are allowed for medical, religious or personal reasons. “The state already requires that students are vaccinated against viruses that cause measles, mumps, and rubella – there’s no reason why we wouldn’t do the same for COVID-19. Today’s measure, just like our first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination requirements, is about protecting our children and school staff, and keeping them in the classroom,” said Newsom.
On October 18, 2021, there was a protest in San Luis Obispo against this vaccine mandate. Parents pulled their children out of school and brought them with homemade signs to show who this mandate was affecting and try to get the governor to notice them and hear their objections. The signs read things like, “Let parents parent,” “Freedom not force,” or simply “No.” Hundreds of students in SLO county were pulled out of school to take part in this protest, and local parents also organized walkouts from the schools their children attended to make a point.
PRHS science teacher Steven Decou said that “it absolutely makes sense to put this on (the school required vaccine) list. I don’t think it’s as much of a personal rights issue as it is a public health and safety issue.” He believes that the vaccine has been “proven to be both safe and effective.”
History is repeating itself, as it often does. Back when smallpox was at large, citizens fought against masks and vaccination, much like how people are today. Now, smallpox has been declared eradicated since 1980, and it’s vaccine is on the list of required vaccinations to attend school. So this has worked in the past- but people are worried that this is a step too far by the governor because of the lack of testing and knowledge of long-term effects of this COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the SLO Tribune and Jennifer Gaviola, deputy superintendent, “PRJUSD saw 1,780 absences — meaning about 27% of the district’s 6,567 students were not in class.” On a typical day, there are 760 absences.
