The Federal Government Thursday directed state governments and educational institutions to work towards ‘potentially reopening’ schools within the third phase of eased lockdown which begins midnight Friday.
National Coordinator of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, gave the directive during a briefing at the Nnamdi Azikwe International.
He said: “For educational institutions which include daycare, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Educational institutions should begin the process of working towards potentially reopening within this phase”.
“However, we strongly recommend that states conduct risk assessment to ensure all schools are at a level of compliance and create a monitoring mechanism to assess, create, and monitor this level of preparedness”.
“Meanwhile, all daycares and educational institutions are to remain closed to in-classes until this level of risk is assessed. And if there will be opening of schools, it must be staged and preferably carried out in phases to ensure that this does not pose a risk to the general public and in particular to vulnerable groups that might end up getting infected by students going back home.”
Schools across the country were shut in March to curb the spread of the COVID-19.
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