Ebola: Private school proprietors kick against new resumption date in Ogun

The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Ogun State chapter, has faulted the Federal Government over the extension in the resumption date of both public and private primary and secondary schools across the country for the 2014/2015 academic session.

The Federal Government had extended the resumption date from September 16 to October 13, due to the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

The body argued that the extension of school resumption would have adverse effect on the school calendar and consequently, inimical to the education sector.

Speaking on behalf of the body, the state president of the association, Dr Abayomi Jiboku, urged the FG to review the date in the overall interest of the nation’s education system.

Jiboku said that the extension might affect candidates that would be writing the West African School Certificate Examination and the National Examinations Council, next year, saying they might not be able to complete the examinations’ syllabuses.

He said: “We are not going to gain by this extension. We don’t want the future of our children to be impaired. We should consider external examinations like WAEC and NECO. WAEC usually starts in March or April.

“Already we are talking about mass failure. Our children are lazying about. So, it is in the interest of all that schools resume as scheduled because failure will affect their performance.

“We have to consider the teachers too. They will have to extend their working hours to 6 and 7 pm, including Sundays, to make up for the lost time. Government should do a reappraisal and consider the position of private schools.”

He also decried the alleged scarcity of detecting devices for Ebola virus in the state, saying the device is been sold for N6,000 each in the state.

“Whatever they asked us to put in place will be done. They said we should send two members for training and buy two scanning devices? to detect high body temperature. We are ready to abide by all their directives.

“We are private people, we don’t need approval like government. They should listen to us because our membership is over 5,000 and 50,000 employees. So, they should listen to us. We are not acting alone. The national leadership of NAPPS is in support of this position,” he added.

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