Schools obey COVID-19 rules to receive final year students 

By Edith Igbokwe, Damilola Kushimo and Olusola Okewole

Proprietors of private primary and secondary schools and the education authorities will, this morning welcome the final year pupils and students to school to begin preparations for their examinations.

Speaking with ECHONEWS, the chairperson of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Oshodi-Isolo Chapter, Mrs. Chioma Mba-Okoroafor assured that schools across Oshodi-Isolo LGA are ready to resume.

Mba-Okoroafor revealed that prior to this time Quality Assurance Committee has been set up by the umbrella body and that the committee is currently inspecting all the schools to ensure that everything government directed such as running water,sanitizer and the social distancing measures, are in place.

Her words: “We are ready because before now, Lagos State NAPPS has created a Quality Assurance Committee and the committee formed an inspection team which I am part of. Our job is to get the chapters together and get inspectors to move round our schools to make sure we are ready.

They are still going round, even on Monday, we are still going round our secondary schools to further stabilize our readiness. We know the government will bring their Quality Assurance Team. But before then, we have done the needful. We are ready. We’ve been ready in a long time, but just to be sure that what the government specified is what we have on ground.”

Speaking further, she explained that the two weeks for revision of syllabuses and schemes of works will be effectively used to further get the students’ ready for the forthcoming West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) that is set to commence on August 17.

She added that private school proprietors have intensified the usage of the online platforms to revise with the students.

Similarly, the proprietress of Buddy Best Nursery and Primary School, Oshodi, Mrs. Olabisi Alabi, said apart from providing the required materials in the school, she promised not to stop any pupil who has not paid school fees from resuming classes for their final examinations.

“It will be wicked of me if I should stop any pupil from taking the examination just because their parents have not paid their school fees. That will mean such pupils will waste a year.”

Public schools are competing with private schools in complying with the government’s resumption protocols.

The principal of Oke-Afa Senior Secondary School, Jakande Estate, Ejigbo, Mrs Omotunde-Young said she has turned the school’s sick bay to a temporary isolation centre for any sick students discovered in the school, to be isolated before their parents would come and pick them for medical treatment.

She said all the required measures from the government have been worked out to ensure the school is ready for the resumption.

She said: “All public secondary school leaders and their management teams are ensuring that portable running water is available in their schools, the toilets are functioning properly, washing hand sinks and basins are available at schools’ entrances and inside the premises with soap.

“Infrared thermometers are available for use at school entrances, hand sanitizers are also available. ‘No face mask, No Entry’ policy and posters are present, all students, teachers and non-teaching staff must use face masks or are also denied entry.

“Visitors are not allowed to enter the schools except Government officials. No vendor of any kind is allowed in the schools, so the students have to bring their foods, drinks and stationery from home. Classes and student furniture are arranged to accommodate a maximum of 25 students or less per class for their final exams.

Following the persistent agitation for the reopening of schools, the federal government has announced that schools be opened on Tuesday, August 4, 2020 for the students in transitional classes to complete their studies and write the final examinations.

The federal government has also declared August 24, October 5 and October 17 for the commencement of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for Junior Secondary Schools 3 (JSS3) Students, National Examinations Council (NECO) for SS3 students and National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) – a one-day examination, for the intending applicants into JSS respectively.

Prior to the federal government’s suspension of school resumption earlier slated for Monday, July 13, 2020 to accommodate transitional classes for revisions before the examinations commence, Oshodi LGA had fumigated schools.

Schools fumigated include Local Government Education Athourity (LGEA) schools which comprise Owoseni Primary School, New State Primary School and Model Primary School alongside with Ikeja College, Ikeja Senior and Junior Grammar schools.

The LGEA has also prepared teachers to get ready in terms of putting the necessary things in order to discharge their duties.

According to the LGEA Executive Secretary (ES), Barr. Femi Ogunwusi, “our teachers are 100 percent ready to take off with the revision classes, all the necessary things we need are in order to kick start.”

In Isolo and Ejigbo LCDAs, similar steps have been taken as all the public schools have been fumigated by the local governments while some other measures are being put in place to safeguard the students from contracting coronavirus.