School reopening: Ogun NUT gives condition for opening schools

The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Ogun branch, has demanded the provision of infrared thermometers, hand sanitizers, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), as some of the conditions for the re-opening of public schools in the state.

The state chairman of the union, Comrade Titilope Adebanjo, stated this on Tuesday, in an interview with newsmen in Abeokuta, said other conditions must include disinfection of school premises; provision of running water; standby health personnel; training of teachers on the use of thermometers among others.

Adebanjo informed that a position paper had been presented to the state government on safe re-opening of schools.

He said,  “As a union, we know that we have a responsibility and this necessitated us to present a position paper to Ogun state government as we are looking forward to reopening of our schools.

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“We hear some opinions somewhere that teachers in public schools are not ready to go back to work. We are saying emphatically that our teachers are ready to go back to work. In fact, we are tired of staying at home.

“The first on the list is to make sure that the government to fumigate every part of the school environment. And we put it to them also to make sure that they provide infrared thermometers to all our schools at least to get the temperature of our students.

“We put it across to them also to make sure that they train our teachers in line with the position of this COVID-19. The training of teachers is very, very important so that when teachers are trained to use these thermometers they can also read them and even to observe a pupil or a student that is having issue medically or the other.

“Another thing is to make provision for potable water, running one for that matter available in all our schools, along with soaps and alcohol-based sanitizers. All these must be on ground before schools are reopened.

“We also recommended to them that at least within a kilometre of a school, there must be health personnel that in case if there is an emergency, we can easily report to them. We are teachers we are not doctors, we are not nurses. But the most important thing is to make sure that PPE is readily available in our schools.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE