A British school has banned a nine-year-old from Sierra Leone because parents feared the boy could give his classmates Ebola. Kofi Mason-Sesay, who has joint British and Sierra Leonean nationality, was due to spend several weeks at St Simons Catholic Primary School in Stockport. However, the placement was cancelled after ignorant parents campaigned against Kofi or his British mother Miriam going to the school, fearing they could pass on the disease which has killed at least 678 people in Sierra Leone. Kofi was due to join St Simons while Mrs Mason-Sesay carries out fundraising visits to other schools as part of her work with charity EducAid Sierra Leone, which runs schools for vulnerable children in the west African country. Public Health England have confirmed there is no risk in Kofi or Mrs Mason-Sesay attending the 168 pupil school, but parent power led to the initiative being cancelled. Mrs Mason-Sesay, 48, who set up the charity 14 years ago, said she and Kofi were given the green light to travel by Public Health England, but misunderstandings over the virus has seen them treated like ‘lepers’. he pair flew into Heathrow last Tuesday, and it had been planned that Kofi would attend classes at St Simons while he and his mother stayed with family friends in Greater Manchester. He has been taking lessons at the school during regular visits with his mother to the UK since he was three, and has friends there. As a British citizen, Kofi has a right to education when he is in the UK, and normally takes classes at the school twice a year, during the spring and autumn, and staying for up to two months. He last attended in July. The incubation period for Ebola is between two and 21 days, but Public Health England have classed Kofi and his mother as a category one risk, the lowest possible for someone who has visited an Ebola affected area. There are no restrictions on their activity, and no need for them to be monitored. It is thought some parents at the school started a petition against the visit, putting pressure on the headteacher and school governors to cancel the trip. It’s heartbreaking, said Mrs Mason-Sesay. Unfortunately there was so much pressure from an ignorant parent body that the school had to act. The reality is it’s a difficult disease to catch and much of its spread in Africa is to do with traditional burial practices when sufferers have died. We’ve been met with leper-type attitudes from wealthy people over-reacting and trying to protect themselves from a threat which isn’t there. She added: It is heartbreaking and very disappointing - Kofi has been going to classes at that school since he was three.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 12:40:05 +0000
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