In a bid to ensure adequate safety of school children from the contacting the ravaging coronavirus pandemic, a total of 5,697 teachers from both public and private schools across the 25 local government areas of Delta State have been trained on COVID-19 protocols in the schools.

The training, which was organised by the Delta State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, in collaboration with Ministry of Health, was aimed at ensuring that those teachers trained would in turn train others in their various schools.

Addressing the teachers during a monitoring visit to St. Patrick’s College, Asaba, Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State yesterday (July 28, 2020), the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Chief Patrick Ukah, said that the Senator Ifeanyi Okowa administration is irrevocably committed to safeguarding the health of residents, especially teachers and school children in the state at all times.

Ukah stated that the visit was informed by the need to encourage the teachers and to ascertain their level of commitment and participation in the training. He said that the State Government would provide critical measures to avert the spread of the coronavirus in the wake of school resumption.

The commissioner reiterated that government would supply items such as hand sanitizers and face masks needed for curtailing the virus in learning environment, adding that sickbays would be provided for schools where none was available.

While disclosing that washing buckets would be provided for each school and placed in strategic locations within the school premises, Ukah noted that liquid soap would be given to each of the schools, just as he said that tanks of water would be supplied to schools that have no boreholes/water.

Ukah further maintained that infrared thermometers would be given to schools for temperature screening, emphasising that teachers must always ensure that appropriate safety measures were adhered to at all times, even as he said that free toll lines would be provided and urged teachers and students not to panic.

This is in addition to the provision of all necessary materials that will ensure that the virus does not spread among the teachers and students and provide a conducive learning environment for academic activities.

The two-day training programme is taking place in three centres with large halls in each of the 25 local governments of the state to ensure that social distance is maintained.

Recall that students in exiting classes would resume on August 4, across the nation as directed by the Federal Ministry of Education.