Some schools in the Pru District of the Brong Ahafo Region have been closed down because the pupils have refused to go to school on account of the deworming exercise. The District Director of Education, Mr Wiredu Kusi told Daily Guide that two schools, namely, Avorkope D/A and Accra Town primary schools have been closed down unceremoniously. The pupils have refused to go to school because they had allegedly been told by their parents that there was a ploy by Government to kill them. The deworming exercise, which he said started progressively and intended to promote the health of pupils, had now thrown the district into a state of confusion. Mr Wiredu said he had personally been threatened by parents not to administer any medicine whatsoever to their wards. He said he had been heckled by some parents a couple of times and had since reported the incidents to the district police. The district director said the pandemonium heightened when rumours reached the locals that about 40 pupils had died in the Volta Region, following the administration of the drug. It was later found that there were reactions due to either allergy or complications from ailments such as pneumonia and malaria. Also, he said some children took as much as three tablets instead of one, and added it was negligent on the part of teachers not to have marked the names of pupils to whom the drug had been administered so as to prevent double dosage. He said one of the pupils told him he took three tablets because “the medicine was sweet” but had no reaction. He mentioned among other things, that there were rumours, especially by parents, that the exercise was a ploy by Government to massacre children. He therefore warned parents to desist from spreading such rumours. He however confirmed that about 11 children who reacted by vomiting, were treated and discharged. Meanwhile, at the time of filing this report, the exercise was on-going, with the majority of pupils refusing to attend school until the exercise was over. Daily Guide