COVID-19: Ondo govt to introduce staggered classes in schools

Following the widespread second wave of COVID-19 in the country, Ondo State government, on Monday, said new modalities would be introduced in schools while periods of teaching will be adjusted.

The Special Adviser to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, on Health and the Acting Commissioner of Health, Dr Jibayo Adeyeye, stated this during a joint inspection of schools by the Interministerial Committee on Coronavirus and the Ministry of Health.

Adeyeye said the step is to avoid cluttering and overcrowding of students in schools during lectures.

Adeyeye who commended some school authorities for prompt adherence to COVID-19 protocols observed that prevention of Coronavirus requires special efforts, saying there’s need to do the needful at all times.

According to him, there is need for re-organisation of subjects time- table for classes in schools where students are more populated.

The Commissioner observed that spacing has been a challenge in most schools in the state noting that most of the schools are highly populated, even though students are obeying cautions.

He, therefore, disclosed that schools have been mandated to cancel assemblies or any form of congregation and also to reduce break periods to run between five and ten minutes, in order to safe the lives of students and teachers from the virus.

Corroborating his view, the Commissioner for Education, Mr Femi Agagu, said that people are finding it difficult to comply with various prevention guidelines highlighted by the government during this period.

He said the Ministry will not relent in doing its best and imbibing in the students universally accepted guidelines against COVID-19, as a regular practice among them.

He said the exercise will be continuous and the Ministry will work out measures to restructure classes so that number of students in class at a time will be very minimal.

He, however, advised schools managements to make use of unutilized spaces in their domains for lectures, while students should also serve as advocates in mitigating the spread of the virus.

The Chairman, Interministerial Committee on COVID-19, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, commended the Ministry of Education for supporting the Committee in its task of ensuring the spread of Coronavirus is greatly mitigated in the state.

He appreciated the school principals for enforcing COVID-19 protocols in their schools, as against what was observed last week, noting that a high level of compliance is now observed in schools.

Fatusi stressed that the Committee will continue to work harder to make sure schools in the state remain safe.

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This reduction doesn’t mean the country is close to flattening the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic…Ondo govt to introduce staggered classes in schools, Ondo govt to introduce staggered classes in schools