Public and private schools in Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo states reopened on Monday with partial adherence to coronavirus safety guidelines by the students and teachers. In
Lagos State adhered strictly to the coronavirus guidelines on hand washing, use of face masks and social distancing.
One of our correspondents, who visited World Class Academy, Command, Ipaja, observed that pupils’ temperature was taken an infrared thermometer, after which they were directed to wash their hands and use their face masks before entering their classrooms.
Parents were not allowed onto the school premises but asked to drop their wards at the school’s gate.
But some schools did not also open for physical resumption yet.
Director, Le Poshe School, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, RonkePosh Adeniyi, said, “Our parents voted for online school for the first month. We don’t plan a physical resumption yet.”
Some of the school owners also lamented the low turnout of their pupils.
Similarly, management of Lagos State University ensured that its final year students and some members of staff who resumed today and complied with the COVID-19 guidelines.
A visit to the school showed designated staff checking identity cards of both students and members of staff while they were all directed to the handwashing point, while the use of face masks was enforced at the gate.
But our correspondent in Ogun State reported that many pupils of public and private schools in Abeokuta, the state capital, were seen on school premises without face masks.
The schools whose pupils were not wearing the face masks include African Church Grammar School; Lafenwa High School; Premier Grammar School and Gateway Secondary School; Reverend Kuti Memorial Grammar School; Abeokuta Girls Grammar School; and Macjob College, Baptist Girls’ College, all in Abeokuta.
It was observed that huge numbers of students were allowed onto the school premises without face masks, most especially at the public schools.
In some of the public schools visited in the state capital, there was no provision for hand washing and sanitising.
Some pupils claimed that they did not know they were supposed wear face masks.
While some parents expressed worry over the safety of their children, others said they had no worries at all.
A parent, Mr Ahmed Salau, “If COVID-19 is real, I don’t think it is safe to reopen schools.”
But in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, there was a large turnout of pupils in many public and private schools visited by one of our correspondents and majority of them turned up with face masks.
In Osogbo Grammar School, infrared thermometer was used to check pupils’ temperature before they were allowed into the school.
However, contrary to recommendation, some of the classrooms had more than 20 pupils.
Also, at Fakunle Unity Government High School, Osogbo, many students wore face mask and the situation was the same in many private schools visited within the Osogbo metropolis.
It was however observed that some private schools did not have thermometer to check temperature of pupils.
The Special Adviser to Osun State Governor on Education, Jamiu Olawumi, expressed satisfaction with the turnout of pupils, adding that the state recorded 95 per cent compliance with COVID-19 protocol.
He said, “Our students and parents responded positively to the reopening. We recorded close to 95 per cent compliance and I like to commend parents for supporting their children with nose masks.
“I have visited about 11 schools in three local government areas in the state. What we have recorded today is fantastic and our students were enthusiastic to learn; in fact, most of the schools I checked, except one, have started teaching and learning.”
Similarly in Ekiti State, there was excitement among pupils and students in primary six, Junior Secondary School three and Senior Secondary School two.
The students, wearing different colours, sizes and shapes of nose masks, were seen observing physical distancing in their sitting arrangements and interactions in line with the safety measures put in place by the schools.
A teacher and the state Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, Sola Adigun, who lauded the state government for the steps put in place to prevent spread of COVID-19 in schools, called on pupils and students to abide by the protocols.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government issued a warning to head teachers of public primary schools in the state not to flout the COVID-19 safety guidelines put in place.
The Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Nureni Adeniran, gave the warning on Monday, during the monitoring of schools in Ibadan, the state capital.
Adeniran, who led some officials from the Standard and Quality Assurance Department of SUBEB on inspection of schools, frowned on the poor compliance rate of teachers and pupils in some schools.
While there was high rate of compliance in private schools across the city, many students and teachers in some of public schools were without face masks.
Adeniran said, “In some schools, the compliance level was not encouraging, while the team did not meet teachers in others. Pupils did not comply with extant guidelines of social distancing and use of nose masks.”
By Grace Edema, Daud Olatunji, Bola Bamigbola, Abiodun Nejo and Wale Oyewale