By Ade Oyeyemi
The Ondo State Teaching Service Commission has refuted reports that blood tests are being conducted on students in public secondary schools as part of the admission process.
The commission described the reports circulating on social media as misleading, urging parents and members of the public not to rely on the claims.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Oluwadaisi Oke, TESCOM explained that parents of newly admitted Junior Secondary School 1 students were only asked to voluntarily provide information about their children’s health status as part of their admission documentation.
Oke stressed that no blood test had been conducted on students within the premises of any public secondary school in the state.
She explained that where medical examinations were considered necessary, parents were expected to take their children to recognised health facilities approved by the government.
The TESCOM chairman further stated that no official of the commission had been authorised to collect blood samples or conduct blood tests in public secondary schools.
She added that an internal inquiry conducted by the commission found no evidence that such an exercise had taken place in any of the schools.
According to the commission, parents remained responsible for taking their wards to either public or private healthcare facilities for any required medical examinations and providing the relevant information on the official admission forms.
TESCOM urged journalists, bloggers and other media practitioners to verify information before publishing reports that could create unnecessary anxiety among parents or disrupt the education system.
The commission also advised parents to confirm information concerning its activities and personnel through official channels instead of relying on unverified reports shared on social media.
