Controversies last Monday, continued to trail Federal Government’s directive for public and private primary and secondary schools to resume for the 2014/2015 academic session.
While several state governments made last minute dramatic U-turn, directing schools in their states not to resume last Monday, but on later dates like October 6, 8 and 13, other state governments who insisted that schools in their states must abide by FG’s directive were shocked, as their teachers failed to resume for work, giving several reasons bordering on inadequate provision of the necessary anti-Ebola precautionary measures in their schools.
Vanguard Learning gathered that while states like Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Ebonyi, Plateau, Ondo among others, resumed for academic activities, no fewer than 15 states across the federation were said to have shunned FG’s directive to resume September 22. The states include Rivers, Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, Benue, Niger, Zamfara, Adamawa, Kano, Kwara, Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Ogun and Lagos states.
Academic activities
Earlier, the national body of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, had ordered its members to shun academic activities until the Federal Government and several state governments have provided the required health gadgets in schools to ensure not only their safety but that of their pupils.
Against this backdrop, it was learnt that the affected state governments suspended resumption to two or three weeks, on the grounds that this period will allow them to further put in place all necessary precautionary measures against the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in their schools.
However, in Lagos State, Governor Babatunde Fashola’s last minute dramatic U-turn for Lagos schools to re-open October 8, has not gone down well with several private school owners, who said that the state government did not carry them along in the meeting where the new directive was given.
Recall that Fashola had on Sunday, in an interactive session with principals, vice-principals, head-teachers and assistant head-teachers of public primary and secondary schools in the state, directed that schools should no longer resume on the earlier announced date of September 22, but next two weeks (October 8), explaining that this period would allow for more time to further put in place all necessary precautionary measures against the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Lagos State schools.
However, when Vanguard Learning visited some schools that resumed, the administrators who lamented that they were not duly carried along in the latest directive by the governor, pointed out that there was no reason to continue to keep the students at home, since they had already put in place all necessary precautionary measures to combat the EVD in their schools.
The administrators who also said that the state government never considered them in the allocation of anti-Ebola materials, however, stated that they had provided it for themselves, noting that they were ready to subject themselves to inspection by authorities of the state at any point in time.
Among the schools that received pupils and students are Caro Favoured College, Awodi-Ora; Strong Tower Academy, Ikorodu; Dorcas Memorial College, Ajegunle; Brain Builders Academy, Badagry; Topfield College, Awodi-Ora; Kings College, Ikoyi and Highstone College, Ajegunle.
Speaking to Vanguard Learning, Principal, Caro Favoured College, Awodi-Ora, Mr. Mark Okoh said: “The State government gave the directive of a suspension of the earlier announced date of resumption based on the fact that some public and private schools have not completely put all necessary precautionary measures in place to contain the spread of the Ebola virus.
Outbreak of the scourge
“But here in my school, we have put every necessary measure in place. We attended the seminars, we have gotten all the materials the state government directed all schools to get to prevent an outbreak of the scourge. As you can see for yourself, we are checking them at the gate, we are monitoring the children to ensure that everything is in order.” He added that: “we have constant running water at the gate, we have provided soaps, hand sanitisers, infrared thermometers to check the students’ temperature and we have trained teachers who will move into action if there is any emergency, based on the training they have received so far.”
Reacting to Fashola’s dramatic U-turn that schools should resume October 8, Okoh lamented that private schools were never carried along at the meeting where the new directive was issued.
His words: “We were not really carried along and it is unfortunate. We were not at the meeting last Sunday, as it was specifically for principals, vice-principals, head-teachers and assistant head-teachers of public primary and secondary schools and officials of the Nigerian Union of Teachers. Private schools were never invited. And since we were not invited, it means we were not part of the agreement to suspend resumption to October 8.
“When they (government) needed our attention, they called us to a meeting, and at the meeting, they told us what we should put in place. We have put those things in place and we are ready to subject ourselves to inspection anytime they deem fit. We must also get it clear that the agitation of the NUT officials from the public schools was that there was nothing on ground in their schools, to show that they were ready to resume.
But we have things on ground, so we are not protesting that parents should not release their children for resumption. After all, the state officials had already told all private schools to get their materials themselves, that they are not giving us free like public schools.
Even when we go to government establishments where these materials are readily available, we are paying for them. It is not given to us free. So, since we have the anti-Ebola equipment, there was no need disrupting the academic calendar any further,” he said.
Similarly, the Vice-Principal (Administration), Topfield College, Ajegunle, Mr. Agbolabo Onasanya, who decried the lack of communication said: “Our decision to resume despite the directive from the Lagos State Government to suspend resumption till October 8, is as a result of the communication mix-up on the part of the government. Last Thursday, we had a meeting with the Ministry of Education and this issue was not brought up.
Precautionary measures
“So, we made efforts to put all the necessary precautionary measures in place as the government directed, and then last Sunday, we were told that the governor had an interactive session with principals, vice-principals, head-teachers and assistant head-teachers of public primary and secondary schools, as well as officials of the NUT. There was no private schools representation.
So, that decision was arrived at and our heads were shaved in our absence. So, we did not really know how to respond. However, one of the communiques of that supposed meeting was that schools will be provided with the necessary anti-Ebola equipment, of which we private schools don’t think we will be beneficiaries.
“So, if the schools will be closed for equipment to be provided and we are not going to be beneficiaries, why don’t we just go ahead and provide the equipment ourselves and resume, so that anytime the government officials are ready for inspection, they will see that we have those equipment in place.”
Mrs. Nneka Okafor, Vice-Principal (Administration), Highstone College, Awodi-Ora, confirmed her school’s level of preparedness. “Even before the new directive by the Lagos State governor, we had already put all the necessary precautionary measures in place. As you can see, we have the hand sanitisers, the running water and the soap.
However, we resumed on Monday, but today (Tuesday), our proprietress called, directing us to allow the children to go home, and to resume October 8 as directed by government. Her directive was never because we were not prepared, but at least, it will give our teachers the ample opportunity to prepare their lesson notes among other things.”
According to an administrative staff of Strong Tower Academy, who does not want her name in print: “We resumed on Sunday for a fresh academic session. About 80 per cent of the boarders resumed as earlier directed by Governor Fashola that private schools that have put all necessary precautionary measures in place can resume on September 22. Before our students came in, they were properly checked with the infrared thermometers. We gave them health talks, but we did not teach them.”
Asked how the parents reacted, she said: “Parents who brought their children to resume say they are already tired of the holiday, therefore the children should resume. Some of them are from overseas, Abuja, and Port-Harcourt.”
On his part, the Vice- Principal (Administration), Kings College, Mr. Charles A. Utomi, said: “We received students in the hostels, served them breakfast, but the Association of Senior Civil Servants this morning (Monday) directed we shut down as they are agitating over unpaid salary arrears. So, we decided that students in the boarding house already received by the school will only be allowed to go home if their parents are available to pick them.”
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