COVID-19: Bauchi schools reopen without observing protocols

Bauchi State Commissioner of Education, Dr Aliyu Ibrahim Tilde, has said that the turn out of students and pupils was very encouraging stressing that as days go by, the number of students will increase until every child is back to school.

The Commissioner who was reacting to the reopening of schools, on Monday, said that the state government was prepared to ensure that academic activities picked up immediately in order to be able to regain lost ground by the students.

On the observation of the preventive protocol put in place, the Commissioner declared that it is mandatory for the students to comply with the protocols saying that the heads of the schools have been briefed on what to do to ensure compliance.

He assured that the state government has procured handwashing tools which have been distributed to all government schools urging parents to ensure that they got face masks for their children.

In Bauchi, schools resumed on Monday as directed amidst uncertainty as to how the process of learning will be in line with the COVID-19 protocols.

Our correspondent who went round to monitor the situation observed that though the students and pupils turned up, the COVID-19 protocol of social distancing and wearing of face mask was not completely adhered to.

At the Bakari Dukku, which has both primary and secondary schools, the pupils and students turned out but without wearing face masks and were seen clustering together with observing the social and physical distancing.

Some of the students who volunteered to speak to our correspondent on the issue of social and physical distancing protocol claiming ignorant because according to them they were not told about such.

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It was, however, observed that the school authorities made provision for handwashing with ordinary water without soap just as no provision was made for face masks for the students.

When approached for comments, the head of the school declined, saying that he is not authorised to speak to Journalists on any administrative issue directing the Correspondent to the Ministry of Education.

At the Sa’adu Zungur Model School, the school management provided handwashing points at the gate making it compulsory for the students to wash their hands before entering the school but the issue face masks was not enforced.

When asked to speak with the head of the school, he was said not to be on the seat as they were summoned to the Ministry of Education for briefing.

At the LYS Academy, however, all the protocols must be fully observed before the students were allowed into the school premises, two handwashing points were provided with soap and clean water just as the school provided face shield and masks for the students.

Head Teacher of the Academy, Blaise Ugochukwu said that the management is not joking about the existence of the infection, it is therefore doing everything possible to protect the students and minimise chances of infection.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE