FG Lists Fresh Conditions For Reopening Of Schools Amid Coronavirus

The Federal Government has listed fresh conditions for the reopening of schools amid Coronavirus in Nigeria.

NewsOne Nigeria reports that the conditions schools and learning institutions in the country must meet before reopening are contained in a 36-page document submitted to the Senate by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu for their Information.

According to the document titled: “Guidelines for schools and learning facilities reopening after COVID-19 pandemic closure,” the Minister of Education, in his forward to the document, described the conditions as key strategies for implementing safe, efficient, and equitable plans for school reopening and operations.

The minister  said: “Given that COVID-19 may be with us for a while, the guidelines also highlight the urgent need to maintain and improve upon distance learning programmes.”

Adamu stressed that the guidelines were drafted in close coordination with health, environmental, education, and school safety experts who were tasked with the responsibility of charting a pathway for safely reopening schools and learning facilities for quality teaching and learning.

NewsOne Nigeria reports that a major plank of the conditionalities is that schools must “create immediate temporary” COVID-19 “isolation space” before they can be considered to reopen.

The document shows that schools are also mandated to “ensure establishment of a School COVID-19 Referral System including protocols and procedures to take if learners, teachers, administrators and other education personnel become unwell while in schools.”

NewsOne Nigeria reports that one of the conditions for the reopening of schools amid Coronavirus in Nigeria is that schools are also to establish and adequately equip dispensaries and clinics as appropriate.