Both the Federal and State Governments will on Tuesday, June 7 converge to deliberate the guidelines for the safe reopening of Primary and Secondary schools, The Informant247 has gathered.
Schools across the country have been on lockdown since March 18, in a proactive attempt to contain the astronomical spread of the pandemic.
Boss Mustapha, the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, had on Monday hinted at the resumption of schools to allow pupils in graduating classes to prepare for examinations.
However, the Nigerian Medical Association and the Nigeria Union of Teachers berate the resolution, saying it could unavoidably expose both teachers and pupils to the disease.
In spite of the green light by the Federal Government to reopen schools, various state governments have yet not worked out a protocol for the reopening of schools.
In her reaction, Kwara State Commissioner of Education and Human capital development Faatimah Bisola Ahmed said, no arrangement as to when pupils in terminal classes would resume.
States like Ekiti and Lagos have fixed July 17 and August 3 for resumption respectively.
In Rivers State, the Commissioner for Education, Prof Kaniye Ebeku, revealed that the state was poised to reopen schools, but for the sake of uniformity, it was awaiting the appointed date from the Federal Ministry of Education.
Thus, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools has enjoined its members to conduct classes for just four hours daily.
The statement read, “We are not going to spend the number of hours as it used to be. We are considering a little time of about three to four hours in school. This is to ensure that there is no room for children to go on break and play around the premises.
“And we have also canvassed with our members that there should be staggered resumption. Staggered resumption means that if the JSS3 pupils come to school by 8 am, SSS3 pupils can come by 9 am while Primary 6 pupils can come by 10 am. This is to ensure that we don’t get the entrances and exits crowded,” he said.