The Federal Government has disclosed that there are plans to reopen schools nationwide soon, saying, however, that this will not be done in two weeks as being speculated. This was made known by the minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, during the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 news conference in Abuja following rumours making the round the Federal Government would reopen schools in the next two weeks.
The Federal Government had ordered the indefinite closure of educational institutions nationwide as part of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Nwajiuba said the schools would be reopened when the safety of the school children could be guaranteed. He said the government is being careful as not to endanger the lives of the school children and further spread of the coronavirus in the society.
He added that his ministry is working with other relevant stakeholders and agencies of government to put necessary measure in place that would guarantee the safety of children before the schools are reopened.
He said: “We all are seriously interested in reopening and I believe we will reopen soon. But I can’t confirm what your children said that we will reopen in two weeks.
“The five countries of West African Examination Council (WAEC) are meeting and I just came out of a meeting with African Union (AU) Ministers of Education, everybody is concerned as you are. We hope to reopen very soon.
“This morning, I met with the Ministry of Science and Technology. We are looking at putting a system in place that can disinfect every child as he goes into a school and disinfect him as he goes out.
“If we resource our schools properly we can begin to reopen. But we must be able to ensure that the children go in safe and come out safe and not become a conduit for further infection in society.”
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