The Federal Government of Nigeria (FG) has given approval to State Governments and School Administrator to start making preparations for the full reopening of the schools in the country.
It would be recalled that schools in the country had been shut in March as part of the measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease which broke out recently. However, the Federal Government announced that the graduating pupils should resume effective August 4, 2020, to write this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination from August 17, 2020 through September 12, 2020.
Lagos, Kogi and some states had subsequently announced the full reopening of schools to commence mid-September
During a briefing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Thursday, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu said the task force recommends phased return of students.
According to him, educational institutions which include day care, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions should begin the process of working towards potentially reopening within this phase.
He said: “We strongly recommend that states conduct risk assessment to ensure all schools are at a level of compliance and create a monitoring mechanism to assess, create, and monitor this level of preparedness.
“Meanwhile, all day cares and educational institutions are to remain closed to in-classes until this level of risk is assessed. And if there will be opening of schools, it must be staged and preferably carried out in phases to ensure that this does not pose a risk to the general public and in particular to vulnerable groups that might end up getting infected by students going back home.”
