Clarification On School Resumption Date

It is true coronavirus has become a global pandemic, causing the restrictions of movements and interaction of people to prevent the spread of the virus. It is said to be contacted through contact with any opening of the body. To reduce the increase in the numbers of infected people, students are being told to stay at home almost all round the world. Nigeria joined the league of countries that closed schools on the March 26, 2020 and it didn’ t spare any level of education.

Issue presented by students is when the schools closed will reopen. Treatment of affected people, fumigating the country, making sure the economy doesn’t collapse, prevention of the virus and others have diverted the Federal Government away from the reopening, but do they make a move over the reopening at any points?

he Ministry of Education which represents the Federal Government in terms of education-related issues, has given information through the Minister of Education or any spokesperson at many different time. They give account on how they try to make education better and their last speech was about if interstate travelling ban was lifted, students will resume. This was stated by the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba on June 10, during a meeting with the Presidential Task Force (PTF).

He also emphasized that the Ministry is concerned with student’s health as well as making them reach standards of students outside the country. “As soon as those in charge of the blockage lift it because there is no way we can open our schools if the teachers can’t come.”, he had added. 

State governments are also expected to make moves. Televised lessons have taken place in some television networks but do every student have access to a television set? Online classes have been put in place in institutions but not in all. Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, pronounced on June 15 that, students who are to take the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) examination, Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the Common Entrance should resume by June 29, due to the fact, he said they needed school resumption than others. Although this might not be possible because the Federal Ministry of Education has made moves to object to the decision, due to the increment in numbers of infected in Oyo state.

Northern states are not in any way close to resumption; their governors say only little about the reopening. These states have even formed a group to fight Covid-19, so no one state could make such mighty decision without consulting others. Ben Ayade, Cross River State Governor thinks the use of nose masks and face shield should be put in place while school resumes, but he had not make any official statement on maybe his state’s schools should reopen.

The masses could help in quick resumption by practicing social distancing, washing their hands regularly, using sanitizers and obeying rules that guide the prevention of coronavirus. If the number reduces or stops, school resumption will be hastened. It is advised the public should stop lambasting the government on the social media and understand aggressive criticisms change nothing. 

School will resume as soon as corona virus is gone. May God wades away any traces of this deadly disease and make the convalescence short but some universities students should remember, there is still ASUU strike.