By The Ogun State government, Monday, cancelled the initially announced Covid-19 test requirement for resuming pupils in exiting classes.
The cancelation follows outrage by parents of pupils in private secondary schools in the state over the request of N25,000 COVID-19 test fee by the government.
In a statement on Monday evening titled, “Ogun Makes COVID-19 Test Free For All Returning SS3 Boarding Students”, the Ogun governor, Dapo Abiodun, stepped down COVID-19 test as a requirement for each graduating pupil to resume.
Abiodun also apologised for “inconvenience and confusion” experienced by some protesting parents on Sunday.
The statement read, “After reviewing these developments, I have today immediately directed that the Government Laboratories carry out tests for all returning SS3 boarding students at no cost. I have also directed that all those who have paid for tests be refunded. The health of our children remains our utmost priority.
“However, in view of the total number of boarding students to be tested (5,340private and 500 public), and bearing in mind the limitation of our installed testing capacity of 500 tests per day, it may not be feasible for all boarding students to get tested and get their results prior to resumption or even exams which commence on 17th August 2020.
Consequently, the State Government has, therefore, stepped down the COVID-19 test as a mandatory requirement for returning students in our exit classes.
“We, therefore, enjoin Private School owners to exercise their duty of care to their pupils. The admittance of students into boarding houses in private secondary schools will be at the discretion of the management and the Parents Teachers Association of such private schools.
