Schools in about 11 states in the country will resume academic activities in a fresh session starting today (Wednesday) after the elongation of the holiday period caused by the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak.
The states which had earlier shunned the September 22 resumption date announced by the Federal Government, chose October 8 as a more realistic resumption date to enable them to put in place the logistics required to prevent the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease and also observe the Eid-el-Kabir holiday.
States beginning a new academic session today include Rivers, Benue, Lagos, Ekiti, Oyo, Kano, Kogi, Akwa -Ibom, Ebonyi, Ogun and Kwara. Others such as Niger, Zamfara and Adamawa, will resume on October 13.
According to sources, the National President, Nigerian Union of Teachers, Mr. Michael Alogba, revealed that the resumption was not nationwide as schools in some states had resumed classes previously, having received the necessary preventive equipment from the government.
The NUT had ordered its members to stay at home until the materials, such as digital non-contact thermometers, soaps, sanitisers and basins were provided.
The NUT boss said, “I’m sorry I don’t have a comprehensive list right now. But I know Lagos and Ogun states are resuming tomorrow. Our directive was that state wings of NUT should monitor the degree of compliance with the provision of safety measures and formally notify us. But the resumption tomorrow (Wednesday) is not nationwide. Some have resumed earlier. Many of them have reported total compliance to us and they include Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Ebonyi states.”
Speaking on the lessons learnt from the Ebola Virus Disease scare, Alogba said that the disease had revealed the underbelly of the education sector.
“It has exposed the deplorable state of hygiene in our schools. Ordinarily, we don’t need to cry to the high heavens before we could have water in our schools. But the EVD has exposed our shortcomings. Let everybody begins to do what is right. Government should know that it is accountable to the people,’’ he explained.