Schools resumption news

PUBLIC and private primary and secondary schools on Monday resumed across the Federal Capital Territory without necessary arrangements put in place to check the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

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Many of the schools the Nigerian Tribune visited, particularly private schools, are without sanitizers, liquid soap and infrared thermometer.

The schools have resumed in defiance to the directive by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) that schools without adequate preventive measures in place should remain shut.
In most of the schools, pupils and students entered into the school compounds and their classes freely without any form of checks.
The story is the same at Amamex Primary and Secondary School, Mararaba, as the entrance into the school was not even manned by anyone to check the pupils and students.
Also, Pupils of LEA Primary School, P.W, Kubwa Abuja, resumed on Monday with nothing in place to protect them from the spread of the virus.
Parents who came for enquiries were not checked.
The Head Mistress of the school, who declined to mention her name, said the school had sent a staff to the FCT school management board to get the kit as directed but were asked to go to Bwari.
“Now, he is in Bwari and asked to go back to the board as that is where it is being shared,” she said.
However, in some public schools, where provisions were made, they were grossly inadequate. For instance, Model Secondary School Kubwa, Abuja, which houses no fewer than 1,800 students, was provided with a kit containing two sanitisers, two liquid soaps and one infrared thermometer.
Kaduna schools comply, screen students for Ebola
By Hassan Ibrahim - Kaduna
PUBLIC and private schools in Kaduna State complied with the September 22 resumption date set by the Federal Government.
However, the resumption was not business as usual as all the returning students were subjected to Ebola screening.
As at the time of filing the report, no suspected case of Ebola was recorded from the schools.
In Zaria, at Government Secondary School, Kofar Kuyanbana and Government Girls’ Secondary School, Kofar Gayan, teachers have resumed classes.
Principal of GSS Kofar Kuyanbana, Alhaji Buhari Waziri, said they recorded almost 90 per cent compliance as virtually all the teachers came to school and were ready to teach.
He said the compliance became necessary because the state government had directed them to resume on Monday.
He said: “the resumption period was interrupted by the emergence of the dreaded Ebola disease and from all indication government had taken all the necessary measures to flush it out of Nigeria.”
At the Alhuda Islamic Private School, Zaria, teachers were seen teaching their students.
The Vice Principal, Western Education, Malam Ibrahim Adamu, appreciated the zeal and determination of parents who had asked their children to resume as directed by the school authority.
The principal also commended the state government for organising a training session for teachers on how to handle and prevent Ebola virus.
The Kaduna State government had earlier distributed the Ebola testing thermometers to the over 6,320 public and private primary and secondary schools in the state, warning that, all pupils and students must be screened before allowed into the school premises
The Commissioner for Education, Malam Ibrahim Ali, said the infrared clinical thermometer and kits were purchased and supplied by the state government to contain the Ebola disease.
Benue govt not serious —NUT boss
By Johnson Babajide - Makurdi
AS schools resumed on Monday in some parts of the country, primary school teachers in Benue State have accused the state government of paying lip service to the prevention of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
Federal Government had ordered schools to resume for new academic session on Monday, though some states had declined and rescheduled their resumption dates.
Public primary schools in Benue State have declined to resume due to what they described as ‘lackadaisical attitude’ of the state government towards taking precautionary measures in public schools.
The state chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Godwin Anya, told the Nigerian Tribune on Monday that public primary schools in the state had declined to resume until proactive measures are taking against Ebola disease.
Anya who noted that the state NUT position was in line with the directive of the national body of the union said: “we are not resuming until state government provides the necessary measures against EVD.”
Mimiko expresses satisfaction over anti-Ebola measures
By Yinka Oladoyinbo - Akure
FOLLOWING the directive of the state government on the resumption of schools in the state, public and private primary and secondary schools in Ondo State on Monday resumed for the 2014/2015 academic session.
Visit to schools in notable towns across the state showed that the schools resumed as directed. Staff and students returned to schools as early as 7.30 am.
Also, the free shuttle buses being operated by the state government were out as early as 6.30 am to convey pupils and students to their various schools.
It will be recalled that the state government had directed all schools in the state to resume on Monday in line with the earlier directive from the Federal Government.
The state government had hinged its decision to re-open schools on the fact that there was no case of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease in the state, while the ones recorded in other states had already been taken care of.
However, the situation in the schools revealed that most of the schools complied with the directive on provision of sanitisers and other hand washing materials.
Some of the private schools also provided testing equipments at the gates of their schools to ensure that the pupils are well protected from the Ebola scourge.
Also, the state government provided preventive materials in all the public schools.
The state Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade, said there was no need for the state government to postpone resumption of schools.
He said the parents and teachers of school children in the state cooperated with the government to ensure that schools reopened.
Meanwhile, the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, on Monday, toured public primary and secondary schools in the state following the resumption of academic activities as earlier ordered by the government, even as the governor expressed satisfaction with the level of anti-Ebola virus available in the schools.
Schools visited by the governor and his entourage included Fiwasaye Girls Grammar School and Mega primary school Iro in Akure.
Mimiko who was accompanied by Commissioner for Education, Jide Adejuyigbe, his health counterpart, Dr Dayo Adeyanju and the Chief of Staff to the governor, Dr Kola Ademujimi, among others, said his visit was to be sure of actual resumption and readiness of both the teachers and students to work.
ABUAD screens workers, students on resumption
By Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti
THE authorities of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), have directed that returning students and new ones as well as those accompanying them to campus be screened during the resumption for the 2014/2015 academic session which commenced last Friday, September 19, 2014.
This is in consonance with the institution’s determined bid to ensure that none of its students or their chaperons habours the deadly Ebola virus.
To this end, the Founder and Chancellor of the University, Aare Afe Babalola, has set up a committee of medical personnel from the university’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences, headed by the Director of Medical Services, Dr Foluso Jubilee, to ensure that everyone entering the university, including staff members, are appropriately screened.
Besides the screening at the university gate, Babalola has invested heavily in the procurement of hand sanitizers, automatic sanitiser dispenser, sanitiser stand, protective goggle, protective gown, glovers, infrared thermometer, jik-water solution, special stool for jik solution, face mask which are placed in strategic locations around the university.
Not taking anything for granted, Babalola said the university which has held five different sessions of sensitisation campaigns and other Ebola preventive measures to prevent the virus from entering ABUAD, said many more of such campaigns would be held with the resumption for the new academic calendar.
Rivers to sanction schools for re-opening before October 6
THE Rivers State government said on Monday that any school that reopened before October 6 would be sanctioned.
Mr Michael West, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, told newsmen in Port Harcourt that government decided to reopen schools on October 6 to ensure that measures were put in place against the spread of Ebola Virus Disease.
He said that schools were required to provide water and ensure cleaner environment for their pupils and students before resumption of classes.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, said that more than 200 persons in the state were under surveillance.
“The surveillance days will expire today, September 22, and it is necessary to watch them for some time before October 6.
“The ministries of health and education met and arrived on the October 6 date for schools to reopen and we believe the date is okay,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, NAN reported that schools complied with the directive not to reopen till October 6.
Rev. Fr. Anthony Baabel, the Principal of Stella Maris College, Port Harcourt, said the school would resume on October 5.
“Our students are expected to arrive in the school on October 5, while lectures will resume on October 6.
“This is in compliance with the October 6 resumption date given by the state government,’’ he said.
Mr Bright Orluwosu, Proprietor of Nobles Schools, said his schools would resume on October 6.
“Our schools may not have time for mid term break because of the short period left for first term.
“But, we will see how to adjust to make up for the number of days lost because of the Ebola Virus Disease.
“On our part, we have put in place protective measures aimed at protecting our pupils and students against the Ebola Virus.
“First, the sanitary condition has been improved while hand sanitizers are now available in all the classes,’’ he said.
The state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Chief Godfrey Nwogu, said teachers had been directed not to resume classes until necessary measures were put in place for their protection against the Ebola disease.
Bauchi schools begin 2014/2015 session
By Saliu Gbadamosi - Bauchi
FOLLOWING the Federal Government’s directive that all schools across the country should resume for the 2014/2015 academic session, public and private schools in Bauchi State on Monday complied with the directive as their pupils returned to schools after their forced extended long vacation.
However, the Nigerian Tribune noticed in some public schools visited in the Bauchi metropolis that teachers reported for work, while teachers were not seen in some. Even where teachers reported for work, academic activity was yet to commence as the pupils were seen roaming about their school premises.
It was also noticed during the visits that contrary to promises that test kits, including infrared thermometers would be provided before schools reopen, the kits were conspicuously absent at the schools visited, including some private schools.
All the teachers, particularly those in public schools approached declined to comment on either the resumption or on the non availability of test kits, more so that their national body, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), directed them not to report where government failed to provide necessary preventive measures.
Some parents, however, raised concern over the non availability of the test kits, urging the state government to immediately provide the kits in order to prevent possible outbreak of Ebola.
A parent at a private school, Mr Musa Maigari, told the Nigerian Tribune that since Ebola was still prevalent in some country in the West African sub-region and Nigerians travelled outside the country every time, “there is the possibility of someone incidentally bringing in EVD into Nigeria.”
“Though the Federal Government said there is no Ebola in Nigeria again, the fact remains that the disease is still prevalent in neighbouring West African countries. Government should not take chances; let us take all the necessary precautions in order to prevent an outbreak of the disease in any part of the country again,” Maigari said.
Students shun schools in Edo
By Banji Aluko - Benin City
A handful of students turned out for classes in Edo State as students in primary and secondary schools resumed for classes.
The state government had announced Monday as resumption date for the 2014/2015 academic session in public and private schools but a poor turn out was observed in all the schools visited by our correspondent.
At Emotan Primary and Secondary School, Ebenezer College, Lydia College, Obakpolo Grammar School, Our Lady of Apostles Nursery, Primary and Secondary School, Niger College some students were seen within the school premises.
Some of the students in Ebenezar College and Lydia College said they were given sanitisers to wash their hands before they were allowed entrance into the school premises.
Normal academic activities were said to have started in some of the schools.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that some parents did not allow their wards to resume school today.
Secretary of the Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr Akin Adeojo, denied the rumour that teachers in the state have embarked on strike.
He said the state NUT had given the state government a seven-day ultimatum to put in place measures to prevent occurrence or spread of the Ebola virus

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