Friday Olokor and Olaleye Aluko

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said it supported the decision of the Federal Government to stop Senior Secondary School 3 pupils from partaking in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination earlier scheduled to commence on August 4.

The union advised the government to shut down schools until 2021 to ensure adequate preparations, citing the case in some countries such as Kenya.

Our correspondents had reported on Saturday that the Federal Ministry of Education met with officials of the West African Examination Council in Abuja and resolved to announce a new date for the examination.

The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, had also said the government would consult with the four other countries under WAEC to set a new date, while announcing COVID-19 mandatory guidelines for schools which must be kept before July 29.

The ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, who made the recommendations in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, said no reasonable government would take such chances unless parents would be told to sign an undertaking.

Ogunyemi said, “Look, Kenya has said they have closed all their schools till next year (2021); they too have exams to write. Safety first. If it means closing the schools until next year to safeguard the lives of Nigerian children and safeguard the health of all Nigerians, so be it."

So, if that will help us to address cases that can lead to increase in mortality, I think Nigerians should go that way and all of us should see reason for it. If they need to cancel admission for the year, it is good for them. Life matters first, people must have life first before they can go to university. Are the universities ready to work now?

“Our position is that they should not experiment with the lives of our children. Nobody can tell; the situation may soon normalise and they can do their exams and there is another opportunity for external candidates around November. So, it’s not as if the door is totally closed.”


The ASUU president added that the union had not seen any evidence to show that schools were secured for students to go back.

He said, “The first thing that should be tackled is whether schools are safe. And if the schools are not safe, why do you want to carry out an experiment with the lives of our children? An attempt to send back the children to school at a time there is a spike in COVID-19 cases in Nigeria is like experimenting with the lives of our children.


“If they put all the things in place, including social and physical distancing, sanitisers, kitting the children as we see in other places, decontamination with water flowing in the schools and all the gadgets, why not? So, if government can meet all these conditions, then they can reopen the schools. But if they cannot meet all these conditions, they should not experiment with even 10 students in any school.”

Meanwhile, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools has said that its members are ready for school reopening and that as part of measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19, it has directed its members to open schools for about four hours daily.



NAPPS in an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents noted that since the Federal Government had given the directive on school resumption for terminal classes, it was relating with its members nationwide on a number of safety protocols to put in place.

The NAPSS National President, Chief Yomi Otubela, said, “Our association, as the registered umbrella body of private schools in Nigeria, has been interfacing with Federal Government representatives, including the Ministry of Education and other agencies, concerning how to combat the spread of COVID-19.


“The fact that pupils are returning to school does not mean that we are going to spend the total hours as it used to be in the past. 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 discussed with our members that there should be staggered resumption. Staggered resumption means that if the JSS3 class comes to school by 8am, SSS3 can come by 9am and the Primary 6 classes can come by 10am. This is to ensure that we don’t get the entrances and the exits crowded.”

The president noted that schools had been instructed to have infrared thermometers, and also avoid teachers marking students’ books manually.

Copyright PUNCH.

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/wassce-dont-reopen-schools-until-2021-ASUU-tells-fg/%3famp=1

What if Lecturers should be paid half salary until schools reopen. They won't make this nonsense ��� statement. shit

How can people be this selfish.....just because their salaries wouldn't be affected students academics can be allowed to suffer.

FG should announce stoppage of their salary till 2021 and see magic...... Nothing resets a brain more than an impending hunger.

if is what u want no probs.... but the government should stop their salaries also due to the effect of the pandemic....
so they feel the pains of others esp the private school teachers...

ASUU wey no get joy before

Developed Countries are trying to see how they can manage the pandemic and reopen schools with caution. Some have even opened "kindergaten" schools to do a test run and gradually open. Here, with all the COVID-FUNDS/AIDS that was given to this government, they cant even make budget to ensure that ordinary "JSS3 & SS3" that only occupies two jakande buildings in public schools to resume. Something that can be well managed with adequate funding by the government to ensure that the spread of the virus is curtailed. Now they will purposely disrupt the academic calender because they don't see investing in the educational sector (in this times) as a priority. This is so sad. Wait, let me ask, what happened to the funds borrowed, recovered and grants that were given during the COVID-19 lockdown period? They should better not say they used it give us pallatives o! because only half of a quater of Nigerians benefited from that fraud. When will Nigeria do something that will make other countries want to emulate us? When?

Thunder......

ASUU cabals, they don't care about the students. These guys made me lose 6months due to their strike action years ago. All they want is their pay cheque. Our educational sector neeeds a restructure.

He's only voicing his opinion though for he has lost the moral compass to give recommendations. Not when the chief aim of their association is to delay young Nigerians ambition.

Everyone shouting Kenya Kenya. When did Kenya become a model for us to start copying? Nawa o.

If they like the students should stay from now till 2021 no preparation will be made. It is few weeks to whenever they resume that things will be put in place.

They should just stop this Kenya model and no preparation to resume talk!

FG Should Stop Their Salaries Indefinately

Togo has opened schools since June. UK opened schools for their final students. This idiot is talking about Kenya. He is insane.

What sort of nation is this. Ever since Kenya post-poned schooling till 2021,I knew that one blockhead in Nigeria was going to copy it and recommend.
That is all we know copying up and down, imagine Nigeria now citing Kenya as a case study.
Who won't we copy, soon we will copy Yemen and Afghanistan.
A nation of dunderheads with no thinking capacity; is the only sensible thing to do not to start putting in safety measures in schools,of which the reopening date would be determined by when the measures would be put in place.
But no this man wants students to sit at home for another 6 months in addition to the already spent 4 months, because he's not affected definitely. He probably no longer has any kid in school,they probably never schooled in Nigeria also, and his fat paycheck keeps coming uninterrupted.
Now the opinion of millions of students and aspirants sitting at home doesn't matter or how their lives are going to be affected.
Association of wicked evil rogues.

Imagine rubbish!

Same ASUU members that ought to have been in their various laboratories trying to proffer solution to this pandemic is in support of continue school closure??

but you will keep receiving salaries till 2021?

If that is the case then they should not be paid their salaries until 2021. Enough of this madness.

I must say that ASUU is very selfish

Well, it depends on the angle one looks at it sha. Every action always have its repercussions. The public sector may not be affected that much in terms of remuneration unlike the private sector.
















I also want to use this medium to let us of Celog Logistics services in Lagos for those of us into businesses and need to pick up and drop off. �️�️

You can reach me via this link anytime �

https:///2348162793882?text=celog_logisticsenquiries

If assu wants school to remain closed until 2021, federal government should pay 1/3 of their salaries .

is ASUU mad which kind rubbish are they vomiting
just imagine always copying other nation which one is Kenya Kenya Kenya
the stupid organisation does not even have pity on private school teachers
#stoppayments of Teachers and lecturer jare

ASUU no get life

Useless ASUU. This one is talking as if the virus will just disappear in 2021. Instead of them to find ways to ensure the safe reopening of schools, they are copying one Kenya. Other countries are looking for ways to live with the virus but Nigeria is doing nothing other than expecting one miracle vaccine. Nonsense

Confused folks lazy bunch of azzholes

And what if the virus is still around by that time with no cure or vaccine, it should remain closed? Selfish fools

I support his recommendation.

Does this clown of a man know that Kenya are reopening their varsities next month?

Just look at people who are suppose to impact knowlegde on other people talking like bus conductor in a motoa park.

Instead of him to advice the govt to speed up in meeting the conditions for reopening, he is talking about 2021, a rational human being should know that coronavirus will still be with Nigeria beyond 2021.

Like Students, like Lecturers.

Does this clown of a man know that Kenya are reopening their varsities next month?

Just look at people who are suppose to impact knowlegde on other people talking like bus conductor in a motoa park.

Instead of him to advice the govt to speed up in meeting the conditions for reopening, he is talking about 2021, a rational human being should know that coronavirus will still be with Nigeria beyond 2021.

Thank God ASUU are not part of stakeholders to decide a date for schools reopening.
Like Students, like Lecturers.

Still observing . Like I've said Nigerian government isn't ready . He has a point though cos realistically that's when schools in Nigeria can meet any sort of guideline

SALARIES OF LECTURERS AND TEACHERS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHOULD ALSO BE STOPPED UNTIL 2021.

This is to help cushion the effects of the virus on our dwindling economy.
It is important that we don't experiment with our precarious economy by paying people who're not working! That is a colossal waste of resources and is capable of jeopardizing the economic fortunes of the country!

Such waste of resources can lead to serious economic downturn which will negatively affect everyone of us including those other civil servants who were diligently doing their jobs while observing safety protocols in the midst of covid19

since when ASUU begin care for students,

this country,
everybody is selfish
self centered
egocentric



nobody cares about u



look at ur family,




in Lagos for example

u provide ur
water(borehole)
security(vigilante)
school(private school)
light(we just bought a transformer and wired our street with contribution)


but government that has not contributed one thing to our existence is giving u guidelines for covid,

ASUU is advising schools reopen next year,
ASUU that can strike 6months with 2week interbreaks is now concerned about ur life


The more u realise this truth,
the less u take their words serious


Na to leave this country
if u are a youth,
know this


u have a higher chance of succeeding outside this piece of shiit