Ebola: Private schools direct parents to provide childrens’ medical clearance

The National Association of Private School Proprietors (NAPPs), Kano State branch, has directed parents to bring medical clearance of their children to school authorities on day of resumption.

The President of the association, Dr Jibril Muhammad, gave the directive while briefing newsmen in Kano on Wednesday.

He said the decision was taken at the executive meeting of the association as part of measures to curtail the spread of the Ebola virus among school children.

He said the schools have also been instructed to provide sanitisers, bucket of water and soap in every class for children to wash their hands as preventive measure.

Muhammad said school proprietors have also been instructed not to overcrowd classrooms and to refer children to competent medical centres in case of any suspicious illness.

He added that the call for the extension of resumption date from 22 September would be a great disservice to education and the nation in general.

Muhammad, who described the long holidays as uncalled for, attributed the mass failure in WAEC examination to such holidays.

He advised the National Assembly against any attempt to extend the resumption date as it would not augur well for the country.

“All private schools are expected to extend their closing time by an hour to make up for lost time.

“We are also calling on the Federal Government to redeem its pledge of providing schools with thermometers, while state governments train teachers on how to handle Ebola cases.”

Meanwhile, a cross section of parents who spoke to NAN on the issue condemned the decision taken by the private schools proprietors.

Malam Nura Umaru, a parent, said, “we are not in a hurry to send our children back to school if it is not safe now.

“Government can extend the date so as to tackle the situation once and for all before schools reopen.”

Another parent, Hajiya Hadiza Musa, said “even though it is not something that government can tantatively solve at a certain given time, at least let those who had contact with the index case get cured.

“Nobody wants the disease to spread, so, it is better to tackle the ones that had manifested so as to stop it from getting further.”