By Emmanuel Olorunsola
The Federal Government has concluded plans to disinfect its schools ahead of resumption of classes by pupils in terminal classes sitting for external examinations.
Government had earlier approved resumption of JSS3, SS3 and Primary 6 pupils to enable them prepare for their external examination. It had also said that the West African Senior School Certificates Examinations would hold between August 4 and September 5 this year.
According to the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Emeka Nwajiuba, school resumption will be preceded by the disinfection of schools against the spread of COVID-19.
READ ALSO: COVID -19: US to deport foreign students receiving online classes
Although the minister was silent on when the National Common Entrance Examination and Basic Education Certificate Examination or internal examinations for Primary 6 and JSS 3 will commence, he said that decision on dates for the National Examinations Council (NECO), National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) would be taken after the WASSCE which ends September 5.
He, therefore, urged state governments to reopen their schools to enable primary 6, Junior Secondary School 3 and Senior Secondary School 3 pupils prepare for their final examinations.
-Advertisement-
“As soon as we begin WAEC on August 4 and end it on September 5, we will take up NABTEB and NECO exams. Parents please take note.
“Last week, the chairman of the PTF (Boss Mustapha) announced that school facilities will be available for those who want to go into revision classes.
READ ALSO: Federal Government announces commencement of WAEC exams
“The idea here is that we have a whole month from now till then (the examinations). The states that are willing should make their schools available for their children to revise.
“We have done the most we can. Our representative at WAEC (West African Examination Council) confirmed this (yesterday) afternoon that the date allotted will be from the 4th of August through to the 5th of September. Local timings will be published,” he said.
The minister also said that officials of the Ministry of Education would meet with those of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the Nigeria Union of Teachers and other stakeholders today to finalise the dates announced by the government.
Nwajiuba said,” We will be asking that those who are not prepared yet should please go and prepare.
“We are continuing with registration for NECO for those who have not concluded registration along those lines, this is the time also to update and get registrations done.”
READ ALSO: Ogun governor extends lockdown, says schools, churches remain shut
Minister of Environment, Alhaji Mahmood expressed that the decontamination of schools was delayed because the Federal Government wanted enough chemicals to be available.
He said the ministry now has enough chemicals and teams on the ground to carry out the disinfection.
“Earlier, I told you that we have sat with the Ministry of Education and we have the list of all the schools that need to be disinfected before resumption. Well, what we plan to do now is to do (decontaminate) the centres that will be used,” Mahmood said.
We do everything possible to supply quality news and information to all our valuable readers day in, day out and we are committed to keep doing this.
Your kind donation will help our continuous research efforts.
-Advertisement-
-Want to get the news as it breaks?-
