Parents, teachers at loggerheads over demands for compulsory laboratory tests for public primary pupils in Taraba

By Celestine Ihejirika, Jalingo

Demands by heads of public schools for compulsory laboratory test of Specimen for primary school pupils is now causing ripples among teachers and parents in the state.

Our correspondent who has been monitoring trends in the new policy in the state reports that the exercise was greeted with mixed reactions, resulting in parents and teachers at each other throats over compliance.

However, the recent one which occurred just early this week was when two teachers from Hassan primary school Jalingo went to a resident to demand for a specimen from a parent but were chased away and warned against a repeat of such visit/demand.

One of the parent who spoke to our correspondent shortly after the incident on condition of animosity said he was prepared to cause mayhem should the teachers insisted for demands, challenging the governor to address most important things affecting the newly introduced free education such as uniforms, sandals, instructional materials, infrastructure among several others begging for attentions.

He stated further that the period for specimen laboratory tests was absolutely wrong and unaccepted compared to the ongoing Ramadan and lent period simultaneously observed by both Christians and muslims world over apart from societal fear (wickedness).

“Let me make it clear to them, I will never allow any of my children in that school to provide specimen for laboratory test, government is not feeding us nor paying my house rent but only insisting for pupils specimen, no I said capital NO, the days are evil, since they did not provide us with food why are they demanding specimen from our children, it is only when you eat and go to toilet before you will provide specimen for laboratory test, you can’t do it with in an empty stomach, you said”.

Attempts to speak with commissioner of Education Dr. Augustina Godwin on the issue failed as a visit to her office by our correspondent indicated that she was away on an official trip.

Also further effort made by our reporter to speak with permanent secretary of the ministry Alhaji Idris Goje was proved abortive as he was reported to had travelled out of state for an important function.

The secretary of the ministry who simply gave his name as “Ben” told our correspondent that he was just posted to the ministry the previous day and cannot speak to the media.