Ebola: Taking a closer look at schools

Even though the teachers union is still against the September 22 resumption date declared by the Federal Government, insisting on adequate measures to be put in place first. The teachers have even threatened to go on strike.However, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has approved the date of the resumption.Some parents are also not happy with […]

Even though the teachers union is still against the September 22 resumption date declared by the Federal Government, insisting on adequate measures to be put in place first. The teachers have even threatened to go on strike.
However, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has approved the date of the resumption.
Some parents are also not happy with the resumption date, preferring the earlier postponed one of October 13, which was reviewed after the Minister of Education Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau had meeting with state.
Their argument is that more measures would have been taken by then in containing the disease, therefore limiting the risk their children may encounter.
The schools were to have originally resumed in the first week of September.
In a case,  Ebola virus has made us to be health conscious like we never were before. The hand washing campaign  is  preached everywhere and the use of sanitizers  has become ‘normal’ now.  Banks  use sanitizers before you enter, some even measure peoples’  temperature.  People are also more conscious of those that sit near them in public transport and other public gatherings.
But as we all know it will more difficult in terms of children to be aware of the danger of contracting deceases.
 Besides   how many government schools have clean toilets and water?  Even the private ones, how sure are we that the children are well taken care of, apart from the glitzy side to attract parents?
But in the cause of taking preventive measures against Ebola, parents should be vigilant on what their children   should be subjected to. And they should raise questions where anything suspicious happens.
My fear arises from what I recently learnt from a young parent concerning a small school where her three-year-old son attended.
The school in one of these mushroom   ones that are everywhere to cater for the yearnings of those that want their children to attend nursery or private schools, because they feel that the ‘private’ ones are better than the government’s own no matter how bad they may be.
So one day, the son returned from the schools and told the mother that their ‘aunty’ (teacher) had pricked them with a needle.
The woman said she told the father and they were worried that their son’s blood might have been taken for diabolical reason, however when their son didn’t show any sign of illness they didn’t raise the issue with the school. But at the end of the term they withdrew him.
 Since that day I have been thinking about what may be happening to children in schools from those whom you have entrusted their care.
What if some take children’s blood for cultism and so on? And what other abuse are children subjected to, particularly those that cannot talk, or infants in so-called day care?
So the authorities and parents should pay keen attention, so that all manner of ‘ tests’ should not be   carried out on their children in the name of preventing Ebola.
In an ideal setting parents should be informed of any medical test that is to be done to children in school, in order to avoid suspicion.  Unless,  of cause such school has a sinister motive.