The Bauchi State Government has disclosed that approval has been given for reopening of schools across the state and resumption of academic activities from October and that modalities had been put in place to ensure safety of teachers, students and others that make up the school communities.
It explained that the decison to reopen schools from October 12 for academic activities that were disrupted by outbreak of coronavirus was reached after careful considerations and deliberations by stakeholders in the state.
The state Commissioner for Education, Aliyu Tilde, said that though approval had been given for schools to reopen, tertiary institutions were exempted from reopening until such times approval was given to the effect.
Briefing newsmen on Friday in Bauchi, Tilde said that primary and secondary schools can reopen from October 12 in full compliance to all safety measures introduced to curb person-to-person transmission of coronavirus.
Furthermore, the commissioner warned that any school that does not meet all the COVID-19 regulations laid down by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) would not be allowed to reopen.
“At the stakeholders meeting, it was resolved that all primary and secondary schools in the state can reopen starting from Oct. 12, subject to their adherence to all the COVID-19 regulations on school reopening.
“We shall expand the COVID-19 school reopening template that was successfully used to reopen the SS3 classes in August, to cover the reopening of other classes.
“No school shall reopen unless and until it meets the conditions stipulated in the schedule of reopening. This simply means that not all schools may open on the said date,’’ he said.
Tilde explained that the NCDC focal person on COVID-19 in the state would monitor and ensure compliance with the conditions stipulated and that all schools with low class population could resume fully and run their usual school hours since social distance could easily be achieved, while observing other COVID-19 school protocols.
“However, to meet COVID-19 requirement for social distancing, schools with moderate and high sizes will stagger their hours and days vertically and horizontally,’’ he said.
Tilder further explained that all public schools would be decontaminated before reopening, adding that all teaching and supporting staff in public schools were required to fully resume work at their duty station on Oct. 3 to prepare for fully for the school calendar year.
