British school bans nine-year-old from Sierra Leone because parents feared he could give classmates Ebola

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 Simon's 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.

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Arrival: A British school has banned nine-year-old Kofi Mason-Sesay, pictured arriving at Heathrow Airport from from Sierra Leone last week, because parents feared the boy could give his classmates Ebola

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School: Kofi, who has joint British and Sierra Leonean nationality, was due to spend several weeks at St Simon's Catholic Primary School in Stockport (pictured)

Kofi was due to join St Simon's while Ms 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 Ms Mason-Sesay attending the school, but parent power led to the initiative being cancelled. 

Ms Mason-Sesay, 48, who has spent 14 years with the charity, 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’.

The pair flew into Heathrow last Tuesday, and it had been planned that Kofi would attend classes at St Simon's 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.

Virologist Professor Andrew Easton says UK is prepared for Ebola

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Anger: Parents campaigned against Kofi or his British mother Miriam (right) going to the school, fearing they could pass on the disease which has killed at least 678 people in Sierra Leone

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Plan: The pair flew into Heathrow last Tuesday, where Kofi is pictured, and it had been planned that Kofi would attend classes at St Simon's while he and his mother stayed with family friends in Greater Manchester

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 Ms 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 and he has friends there.

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Education: Kofi was due to join St Simon's on a placement while Ms Mason-Sesay carries out fundraising visits to other schools as part of her work with charity EducAid Sierra Leone

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Missing out: Ms Mason-Sesay said she and her son had been met with 'leper-type attitudes' from people 'over-reacting' since their arrival in the UK

'But unfortunately there was so much pressure from one ignorant group of parents who bullied the head teacher - who has been very supportive - into taking this stance.

'Ebola has been so hyped up in the media over here, but the reality is it is a difficult disease to catch.

'Much of its spread in Africa is to do with the poor health care and sanitation but that isn't the case here in England.

'We have been treated like lepers by people here who are over-reacting to a disease they don't know a lot about.

'Ebola has been portrayed in the media as jumping out from behind trees and infecting people but in reality it isn't like that.

'You would have to be in direct contact with someone showing symptoms, caring for them or giving them medical attention. But I'm a teacher, not a healthcare worker.

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Student:  Kofi has been going to classes at St Simon's since he was three and he has friends there

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Model pupil: Kofi with some of his certificates heralding his progress in maths

'Schools in Sierra Leone have been closed and children there, like Kofi, know not to touch and to avoid physical contact.

'We are aware of the precautions - we call it the ABC of Ebola, avoid bodily contact.' 

The education charity, which runs a number of partnerships with British schools, was also going to visit the school as part of its UK fundraising drive.

'We run nine schools in Sierra Leone and schools there have not been allowed to reopen yet because of the spread of Ebola. It is devastating,' said Ms Mason-Sesay.

'But it is important for us as a charity to keep as many children as possible engaged with their education, and that we also plan for the post-Ebola situation.

'We are desperately trying to raise much needed funds to help children who have been orphaned by Ebola or other diseases.

'We don't want any negative fallout to come from ignorant misconceptions.'

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Work: Ms Mason-Sesay's charity has been trying to raise much needed funds to help children who have been orphaned by Ebola or other diseases

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Reassuring: In a newsletter sent out last month, the school reassured parents with advice from Public Health England that symptomless people travelling from Africa, like Kofi, are not infectious

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Visiting: Kofi attends the school when he visits the UK with his British mother to see family and friends

Last month the school tried to reassure parents via a newsletter that the forthcoming visit posed no risk to the pupils of contracting the disease.

The school took advice from health chiefs in the borough and passed on Public Health England's guidance that anyone travelling from affected countries who were free of symptoms was not infectious.

The letter said: 'Thank you to those of you who have raised concerns about Miriam and Kofi’s forthcoming visit to school in October in relation to the ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. Your concerns prompted us to contact Dr Baxter, Stockton's communicable diseases expert, who referred us to Public Health England.

'Please rest assured that there is no risk of infection for anybody here at St Simon’s.

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Pupil: Kofi last visited the school in July, and tends to take classes there two or three times a year

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Safety: Ms Mason-Sesay said many schools in Sierra Leone have been closed due to Ebola, and children there, like Kofi, know to avoid physical contact

'Here is a quote from Public Health England: “Any persons arriving back in the UK having travelled from any of the affected countries, and who are free of symptoms, are not infectious and there should be no restrictions on their school attendance or normal activities.' 

However, the school later bowed to the wishes of parents.

Headteacher Elizabeth Inman said: 'It is unfortunate that some misplaced anxiety and misinformation about Ebola, amongst a small group of parents, has been circulated amongst the wider parent body. 

'The school will continue to support Educaid by encouraging all parents to give what they can.'

The head suggested to parents that a sizeable donation should be made instead to EducAid to recognise its work in a country 'which has received more than its share of setbacks'. 

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'Heartbreaking': Ms Mason-Sesay said there had been 'so much pressure from an ignorant parent body that the school had to act'

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Family: Kofi pictured as a toddler with his mother Miriam, and father, Alhassan Sesay

'IT HAS BEEN VERY HARD TO JUGGLE JUSTICE TO MIRIAM AND THE VIEWS OF PARENTS': HEADTEACHER ELIZABETH INMAN'S LETTER TO PARENTS 

Dear Parents/Carers,

It was with a very heavy heart that Mr Coleing, Chair of Governors, and I took the pragmatic decision to cancel Miriam and Kofi’s visit to St Simon’s this month.

Since the Ebola outbreak I have given constant thought to Miriam’s visit. I have been in regular contact with the local authority who put me in touch with Dr David Baxter’s team (Stockport) and Public Health England. I have also been in touch with Miriam who sent me links to documentation. The governors discussed the visit last Thursday.

Miriam and her son have been screened, given a 1 rating, which gives them unrestricted movement in this country. Our government would not allow this if they thought there was any significant risk.

I understand that there is a lot of misinformation about how Ebola is spread. A significant number of parents have been in touch with me to express their fears. As you know, I always listen to parents. Ebola cannot be spread as some parents have suggested.

There are many parents who believe that the visit should have gone ahead and that we are contributing to misunderstandings by cancelling it.

In this instance, it has been very hard to juggle justice to Miriam and the views of parents. Of course I would never endanger any child or colleague and I have to put my trust in the professionals.

It is with great sadness that we decided to cancel the visit; the misguided hysteria emerging is extremely disappointing, distracting us from our core purpose of educating your children and is not an environment that I would wish a visitor to experience.

I propose that we make a sizeable donation to Educaid in recognition of the tremendous contribution made by Miriam to Sierra Leone, a country which has received more than its share of setbacks. Please send in whatever you can over the next week and we will make sure that it goes straight to those who need it most.

Best wishes,

Elizabeth Inman

Headteacher

The Ebola outbreak has primarily affected three countries in West Africa; Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

It is mainly transmitted by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person.

Around 3,500 people have died in Africa, according to the World Health Organisation - however the figures are still low compared to other diseases such as malaria or tuberculosis.

Much of the spread of the virus is down to poor education and traditional African burial techniques where mourners often handle the dead bodies.

Ebola is not generally spread through social contact or travelling on a plane with people who have become infected.

Experts have said the chances of it spreading in the UK are ‘very low’ - and there has been just one imported case from nurse Will Pooley, who was treating patients in Sierra Leone.

Teresa Romero Ramos, 44, a nurse in Madrid is the first person to have contracted the virus outside of West Africa after treating two missionaries who returned home to Spain from the region.

Advice has been issued to the Border Force to identify possible cases of the virus.

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Predictions: A team of scientists at Northeastern University in Boston have used air travel information to predict where the deadly Ebola virus could reach in the next three weeks

ARRIVING IN THE UK FROM AN EBOLA AFFECTED REGION - HOW PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND CLASSES THE RISK

Aid and charity workers providing care under the UKAid programme will have their risk assessed when they return to the UK, and if they are well, will be placed into one of three monitoring groups.

Category 1 

A person who has visited an Ebola affected area, but had no direct contact with an Ebola case (or body fluids) while they were there. 

There are no restrictions on the activities of people in this category - they can return to their usual activities and there is no requirement for them to be monitored. Kofi and his mother fall into this category.

Category 2

A person who has had direct or close contact with Ebola cases (or body fluids) while they were in the affected area, but wore appropriate protective equipment or clothing and had no breaches of this. 

They can return to live at home with ordinary family and social contact, return to work with some restrictions (only certain types of clinical work if a healthcare worker), travel by public transport and carry out other daily activities. They are required to check their own temperature twice daily for 21 days after return, and to report any raised temperature of over 38°C or other relevant symptoms to a named health protection team at Public Health England (PHE).

Category 3

A person who had direct or close contact with Ebola cases (or body fluids) while they were in the affected area, wore appropriate protective equipment or clothing, but are concerned that they may have had a breach in these protective measures or have had direct contact with an Ebola patient’s blood, urine or secretions without being protected.

They can return to live in their own/ usual home with ordinary family and social contact, attend office-based work only (not patient care areas), and can take agreed UK transport (as discussed with their monitoring team at PHE). They are required to check their own temperature twice daily for 21 days after return, and to report daily to a named health protection team at PHE, even if they don’t have a raised temperature over 38°C or other suspicious symptoms.

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