… COVID-19 test free for public school students, private school students to get discounts
The Ogun State government has given more details about its initial directive for all SS3 boarding school students in the State to undergo COVID-19 and Malaria tests before they are allowed to resume academic activities on August 4.
The clarification comes following protests by parents over N25,000 fee for COVID-19 test.
In a statement, Mrs Ronke Soyombo, the Special Adviser to Governor Abiodun on Basic and Secondary Education, the government said that while the test was free for students in government-owned schools, discounts had been negotiated for students in private schools.
Ogun State is arguably the State with the highest number of schools (public and private) operating boarding facilities in the country with students’ population drawn from far and wide, the government said.
This prompted the decision to order mandatory COVID-19 test for all boarding students.
“A key additional requirement is presentation of the certificate of NEGATIVE COVID-19 TEST before a student is admitted to the boarding facility in both public and private schools in the State,” the statement partly read.
“The government will bear the full costs of the COVID-19 Test for all the boarding SS3 students in the State-owned public schools.
“All private school owners are also expected to ensure that all their boarding students are certified COVID-19 test negative before being admitted into their boarding facilities.
“To further assist the private schools, Ogun State Government has negotiated a huge discount in the cost of COVID-19 Test with some healthcare service providers.
“However, private school owners and parents are free to engage any other service provider of their choice provided that the service provider is certified by NCDC as COVID-19 Test service provider.
“Indeed, Certificate of Negative COVID-19 Test from other locations across the country will be tenable provided, as usual, it is from an NCDC certified centre and the test has been performed within 72 hours of the date of resumption,” the government said.
The state government also said that it has begun the distribution of face masks to all SS3 students and their teachers in all public and private schools.
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