Along with the government's COVISHIELD vaccination programme, a significant number of teachers have been given the vaccine, the Education Minister, Prof. Peiris, said.

The President had approved providing the vaccine for teachers and the vaccination programme would be completed within a week for every teacher.

"The teachers will feel more secure after completing the vaccination rollout and the parents will also be able to send their children to school with confidence," the Minister said.

As a result, envisaging recommendations and guidelines from health experts for the reopening of schools is considered paramount.

As the first phase of the school opening, a vaccination programme should be initiated and the healthcare of the schoolchildren is extremely vital. Vaccination will improve the healthcare of teachers and to build trust among parents, Minister Peiris said. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)