TESCOM denies blood testing of pupils in Ondo schools

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Ondo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) has denied reports that blood tests are being conducted on pupils in public secondary schools as part of the admission process.

The commission, in a statement by its Chairman, Dr. Oluwadaisi Oke, described the reports circulating on social media as misleading and urged parents to disregard the claims.

Oke explained that parents of newly admitted Junior Secondary School one pupils were only required to voluntarily provide information about their children’s health conditions as part of the admission documentation.

She stressed that TESCOM had not authorised any teacher or other school personnel to collect blood samples from pupils or conduct medical tests on school premises.

According to her, parents who require medical examinations for their children are expected to visit recognised health facilities, either public or private, and provide the relevant information through the appropriate school documents.

The commission said its findings showed that the documentation of pupils’ health information during admission had been an established practice, but clarified that no blood-testing exercise was being conducted in public secondary schools.

Consequently, TESCOM urged journalists and social media users to verify information before sharing such claims, warning that unconfirmed reports could cause unnecessary anxiety among parents and disrupt the education process.

The commission also appealed to parents to seek clarification from relevant authorities whenever they receive information about school operations, rather than relying on unverified reports circulating on social media.