COVID-19 vaccinations will be mandatory for all South Australian (SA) teachers and education staff, the state Education Minister John Gardner announced on Tuesday. The move came despite South Australia having recorded only six new cases since mid-October and zero COVID-19 deaths for the past three months. Under the direction, all volunteers and staff within the state’s schools, including Catholic and independent schools, preschools and early childhood facilities, will have to receive one dose by Dec. 10, the final day of the school term. Education staff must also prove they have plans to get the second vaccination in early 2022 before the school year begins. Education Department Chief Executive Rick Persse said workers who refuse the jab, which he expected to be a “tiny fraction,” will have to go on leave from Dec. 11. He also noted that about 600 out of 30,000 total staff in the Education Department were yet …