The Lagos State Government has directed all public and private schools below the tertiary level in the state to reopen Monday, for the second term 2020/2021 academic session.
Commissioner for Education in the state, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, made the announcement, in a statement made available by the Head, Public Affairs Unit of the ministry, Mr Kayode Abayomi, saying the resumption is in line with the Federal Government’s resolution after reaching a consensus with relevant stakeholders.
She, however, urged students and members of staff to stay safe and adhere strictly to the already given COVID-19 guidelines and protocols, emphasizing that every school must provide soap, wash-hand basin, alcoholic hand sanitisers, thermometers and other essential items for use by both the students and workers.
She said washing of hands, wearing of nose masks and maintaining of social/physical distancing, in particular, are mandatory for all so to be able to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among students and workers.
She said the state’s Office of Education Quality Assurance team would be going round schools across the state to monitor compliance.
However, the teachers in public schools are confused whether they are all expected to be at their duty posts or only those from Grade Level 14 as the state’s Head of Service had earlier directed all civil servants under the Lagos State payroll below Level 14 to work from home till February.
The Chairman of NUT of the state chapter, Mr Adesina Adedoyin, told Nigerian Tribune in an exclusive interview on Sunday that many teachers in the state-owned primary and secondary schools are below Grade Level 14 and are confused about whether they are considered among workers on essential services.
“But as regards readiness, we are more than ready to go back to class,” he said.
He said the public schools would do staggering classes whereby students alternate their coming days to school each week and that the school authority would come up with the schedules by today for implementation subsequently.
On their part, private school operators also said they are ready for resumption as they had already provided all necessary items that would make them having seamless precautionary protocols and guidelines against the prevent of COVID-19.
President of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Lagos State, Mr Amusa Mohammed; National President of Association of Formidable Educational Development(AFED), Mr Orji Kanu and the chairman, League of Muslim Schools Proprietors (LEAMSP), Lagos State, Mr Raheem Fatai, told our correspondent in an exclusive separate interview that they would ensure all protocols and guidelines are followed in their respective members’ schools.
They said Nigerians including school children are now more knowledgeable about COVID-19 and the ways to prevent the virus from spreading among people.
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