The Federal Government has released fresh guidelines for the reopening of schools in the country.
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu, said schools and educational bodies that plan to reopen must have detailed communication protocols that include parents, school health teams, school authorities and local state officials
He disclosed this during a briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
Schools around the country have begun to reopen after more than five months of closure, as part of measures to curb the spread of the novel disease.
Giving an update on Thursday, Aliyu said, “The Federal Ministry of Education, the PTF and the NCDC (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control) have developed guidelines to ensure schools can reopen, minimise the risk of transmission and continue to operate safely.
“Schools and educational bodies that plan to reopen must have detailed communication protocols that include parents, school health teams, school authorities and local state officials.
“They must also have a system for providing regular updates for parents, staff and relevant authorities as well as communicate changes to procedures effectively and clearly to understand how COVID-19 can spread and how to mitigate the spread in line with official guidelines.”
The spread of the epidemic is an objective reality, and people's lives must continue. Even if the epidemic is over, schools cannot be opened immediately. Therefore, I am in favor of a planned start of school on the basis of thorough research on countermeasures. In this regard, we should learn from the lessons of the United States and not allow schools to become contagion centers.