Private school students must pay N25,000 for COVID-19 test, government says
The Ogun state government has told private school students who are resuming school on Tuesday August 4, 2020 to prepare for the Senior School Certificate Examination to be conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to pay N25,000 for COVID-19 test before they can be allowed to resume school.
The PUNCH is reporting that parents are kicking against the move as they are demonstrating in Abeokuta, the state capital, saying the decision was inhuman and cannot be accepted by them.
According to the newspaper, the state government had ordered that no boarding school will resume without a valid COVID-19 test certificate.
The government is demanding for COVID-19 results from students even when they could not give COVID-19 results to people who have tested positive to the virus in the country.
The test in the state will be conducted for the students in designated centres between Monday and Friday in the state. This is even as students are expected to be in school from Tuesday to do final touches to their works before beginning examination on August 17.
Reports say parents who attempted to take their children for the test were barred from entering the venue as the N25,000 was demanded before entering the centre. PUNCH reports that many parents were locked out of the venue for their inability to provide the money.
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Attempts to get the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Primary and Secondary Education, Ronke Soyombo, failed as she did not pick calls to her line and did not reply to the messages sent to her mobile.
Credit: PressExpress