The Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 (PTF) has assured Nigerian children that all hands are on deck to reopen the schools at a safe time and urged States, local governments, proprietors and other stakeholders to begin to take steps that will facilitate an early and safe reopening.

Speaking at the daily Press conference yesterday in Abuja, Minister of State for Education, Barry. Emeka Nwajiuba, said that until the government is sure that these children can go to school, return safely without bringing this Covid-19 material, it will not take that risk of reopening the schools yet.

Nwajiuba, who observed that the announcement that schools are reopening on 8th June 2020 did not emanate from the government, said that the government will work with the guidance of experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) before it reopens the schools. He added that that the Federal Ministry of Education will publish a kind of Post-COVID guidelines for school reopening in spite of COVID-19. “We want all our children to come into schools by the time they will be able to do physical distancing,” the minister said.

According to him, “The plan entails adopting a two-shift system and allowing those who will write exams to return earlier than others.

“Use this period to upgrade skills and think of how to make their teachings impactful. Those running the secondary schools should think of what to do so that when

“We are looking at sanitary conditions of all the schools. SUBEB should use some of the monies we give them to upgrade sanitary conditions in schools. We are also looking at having sanitization booths working with NASENI. It is a forewarning to private and state governments to ensure that these things are put in place before schools can reopen.”

He urged state governments and owners of private schools to plan ahead on how to ensure maximum safety for students when the resumption plan is unveiled.

Chairman of PTF and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, observed that the 2020 Children’s Day brings to mind the need to build a legacy that would guarantee a safe and secured future for our children adding that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that the nation was faced with the challenge of out of school children which has now been compounded by the compelling need for closure of schools as part of the measures to limit the spread of the virus.

According to him, “The PTF has been deliberating on this situation and wish to inform Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Education will roll out measures to be put in place for safe re-opening of our schools. The PTF wishes to use the occasion of this celebration to congratulate our children and assure them, their parents and all stakeholders alike, that all hands are on deck to reopen the schools at a safe time.” (The Guardian)

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