Kogi State Government, on Tuesday, announced that primary schools, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state would reopen on September 14.
Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Wemi Jones, made the announcement during a news conference in Lokoja.
According to Jones, the State Government took the decision after series of interaction with relevant stakeholders and assessment of both private and public schools in the state to ascertain their level of preparedness and safety for reopening of schools from COVID-19 break.
”You will recall that Governor Yahaya Bello had directed the closure of all schools from primary to tertiary institutions in the state from March 23, because of the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.
”’Subsequently, upon the directive of the Federal Ministry of Education, exit classes were opened for Primary 6, JSS3 and SS3 in Kogi on Aug. 10, to particularly allow the SS3 classes to prepare and write the WAEC examination.
”Therefore, upon further review, having held several meetings with relevant stakeholders, the governor has directed that all schools in Kogi should fully reopen on Sept. 14, 2020,” he said.
The commissioner stressed that the state government arrived at the decision after assessing the situation of schools especially for the exit classes that had resumed, saying ”we have not recorded any negative report as far as COVID-19 pandemic is concerned.
”Hence, the governor deemed it fit for every school to open for full academic activities,” he said.
He, however, advised all heads of schools to ensure full compliance with COVID-19 protocols which had been clearly set out by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
He added that the ministry would review the state’s Academic Calendar accordingly to reflect the new development and that details would be worked out and released to relevant stakeholders in due course before resumption.
Jones enjoined all relevant educational stakeholders like ANCOPSS, ASSUS, SUBEB, NAPPS, NUT, STETSCOM, Heads of state’s tertiary institutions, and every other stakeholders to liaise with the ministry for further clarification.
He equally informed the general public, parents, guardians, school heads that the state government was very particular about the health and safety of learners in Kogi.
”So, the state government will ensure that our learners are kept in good condition as far as COVID-19 pandemic and indeed other diseases or health issues are concerned.
”We encourage everybody to play their roles by ensuring personal hygiene’’, reiterating that personal hygiene remained the personal responsibility of everybody.
”For the higher institutions, I have personally placed direct telephone calls to the heads of all state’s tertiary institutions and I had discussions with them to ascertain their level of preparedness. It appears that all of them are fully ready for schools’ reopening.
”We have equally asked them to get in touch with the ministry, should there be any further requirements in order for them to make their institutions safe for the benefit of students and staff,” the commissioner said.
Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has faulted the plan by the Federal Government to reopen public universities in the country.
Prof. Lawan Abubakar, the Bauchi Zonal Coordinator of the union, who made this known during a news conference on Tuesday in Jos, said that the move could be “perilous’’.
Abubakar, who declared that ASUU was not in support of the plan, said that reopening of universities would further pose grave danger to students and it would be inimical to the fight against the spread of coronavirus in the country.
He said that most public universities lacked the infrastructure that would enable students comply with putting safety protocols in place, thereby, making them prone to contracting the dreaded virus.
“ASUU is not in support of government’s plan to reopen universities.
“Our position is that universities should remain close until the right thing is done to enable students comply with the COVID-19 safety protocols.
“If students resume now, is it the grossly inadequate lecture halls, workshops, hostels or laboratories that will give them the opportunity to observe social distancing and other protocols?,” Abubakar asked.
The coordinator said that the outbreak of COVID-19 had further affirmed ASUU demands for a well-funded university system as contained in the 2013 and other Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was reached.
He said that with the manner in which government was poorly funding universities in the country, it would take more than 10 years to put the necessary facilities on ground that would enable students comply with the safety protocol against the virus.
“With the way government is handling funding of universities, it will take us more than10 years before it will put necessary facilities to comply with all the protocols in public institutions.
“Had it been government implemented the 2013 MoU and subsequent ones, we wouldn’t have been caught off-guard by COVID-19; we would have been contemplating reopening the universities now that the numbers of cases are declining in the country.
“So, it is now clear to everyone that neither the struggle of ASUU nor the COVID-19 protocols agree with the reopening of universities. We must avert this disaster while we can,” he said
The union leader called on students, parents and the general public to support ASUU in its bid to salvage the university system from total collapse.
“We call on students, parents, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the general public to understand and support us in the struggle.
“We all have a responsibility to ensure that public universities in the country are not joked with,” he said.
