Polio vaccination and schools

Taking care of our youth should be a concerted effort between parents, community, education system and state.

Recently, a bill was tabled in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to require parents to present a polio vaccination certificate for their children’s admission to both private and government schools in the province. This is a smart move by lawmakers, though its attainability seems to have several obstacles in its way. The most blaring requirement of the time is, of course, security for polio health workers. A second need is to equip people with knowledge about polio and eliminate the myths spread by campaigners against the vaccination. Nonetheless, as we are a developing nation, this measure is an intelligible step towards organising our education system and moving towards being a developed nation.

Many developed nations do, in fact, require parents and students to produce medical records showing proof of certain vaccinations at both elementary school and university levels. Of course, there is the risk of lower admission rates if parents are not able to produce the documentation. This is where the state comes in to enforce school attendance and facilitate access to vaccinations. Requiring parents to produce medical certificates will involve parents more in their children’s education and make them more responsible in looking after their children’s current and future health. It will also make the education system more responsible for its children. Apart from polio, additional vaccinations should also be required. Other provincial governments need to follow the example in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and consider drawing up similar bills for their provinces.

Taking care of our youth should be a concerted effort between parents, the community, the education system and the state. Despite the recent tragic deaths of our polio health worker heroes, the country should not give up its fight. This latest bill should be passed and should also call to attention the need for a combined effort by all stakeholders — the state, school system and parents — for improving education for and the health of our youth.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2012.