Coronavirus: Oyo reopening schools despite FG’s warning

In spite of the warning by the Federal Government that state should be cautious in reopening schools, Oyo State government has said it will go ahead to reopen its schools as earlier announced.

It however said there will be a modification of the resumption date for primary six, Junior Secondary School III and Senior Secondary School III students in the state.

The state had relaxed the curfew imposed on the state and also asked final year students in schools to resume on June 29. All civil servants were also asked to resume duties.

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However, the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, had warned the state government against its plan to reopen schools, describing the action as ‘insensitive’.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary of Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, on Tuesday, said that the state task force had reviewed the state of preparedness of the schools ahead of the planned resumption.

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He however said that the state needed a week to enable the schools test-run the facilities, especially the hand washing points and the security measures after the inspection of schools by the Commissioner for Education, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, and people from the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).

READ ALSO: School reopening: Nigeria’s education ministry submits guidelines to N’ Assembly

“By the new arrangement, teachers are to resume to the schools on Monday, June 29, 2020, while students in critical classes including Primary 6, JSS3 and SS3 will resume a week later on July 6, 2020.

“As of Monday, June 22, no fewer than 372 Heads of Schools have been trained by the EOC on the management of the COVID-19 containment procedures, while each of the schools is to appoint an Incident Manager, who will ensure compliance with the approved COVID-19 protocol.

READ ALSO: Oyo trains teachers ahead of June 29 school resumption

“Each student is expected to wear face masks, while the schools are to prepare well laid out hand washing spots to guarantee regular washing of hands by the students and teachers.

“The Task Force also resolved that by July 15, the state government would have reviewed the situation with the schools and come to a conclusion whether the remaining classes would be able to resume or whether the students would have to wait to resume the new session in September 2020.”