Against the back-drop of a negative article published Friday 6 November by The Guardian, Broadgreen International School (A Technology College for 11-to-16 year-old children of ethnic backgrounds) is “in the privileged position of being one of the first schools within the city to have the testing brought to our site,” as Headteacher Ms P Towey proudly informed parents in a letter sent out the same day.
The mass-testing to be carried out at the school on Monday 9 November as part of city-wide trials will be of the nasal-swab variety and will be administered with the assistance of a contingent of the 2000-strong military taskforce on secondment to Liverpool for the purpose of ensuring the success of the mass-trial.
Nasal-swab testing has already been found to be a painful and unpleasant procedure for adults, not to mention children, as in the hands of anyone less than skilled it is all too easy to breach the delicate blood-brain barrier and cause extensive nasal bleeding as well as trauma.
BGIS Liverpool being a school for international children, many of both the children and their parents may not yet be proficient in English, hence they will be at a distinct disadvantage should there be any dire consequences as a result of this enforced testing.
With The Guardian issuing a strong warning in its headline as to the possible harm resulting from the tests there is every reason to be very concerned for the wellbeing of the pupils of Broadgreen International School Liverpool when they return to school after the weekend on Monday.