Kano State Government has urged proprietors, parents and stakeholders to exercise patient as it adopted proactive strategies to fast track safe school reopening in the state.

Sunusi Kiru, the state’s Commissioner for Education, made the call in a statement by Aliyu Yusuf, the Public Relations Officer of the ministry issued on Monday in Kano.

Kiru spoke when members of the All Private and Voluntary Institutions Proprietors Association of Nigeria paid him a courtesy visit.

The commissioner was quoted as saying that the state government would not violate the Federal Government’s directives on closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kiru said: “The issue of schools reopening has been a topic of discussion at national and state levels, and we are doing everything possible to ensure safe reopening of the schools in compliance with the Federal Government’s guidelines.”

Kiru dismissed as misleading insinuations that some schools in the northern part of the country had resumed, adding that state governments in the region were yet to reopen schools.

According to him, the forum of Commissioners of Education of the 19 northern states are in constant contact and discussing best guidelnes on the matter.

The statement also quoted Bashir Adamu, the Chairman of the association, as saying that they visit was to enable them brief the commissioner on the joint stakeholders’ meeting.

Adamu expressed satisfaction with the level of preparations by the ministry towards ensuring safe reopening of schools in the state.

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Kano State Government says it has earmarked N3. 2 billion for schools rehabilitation and construction of classrooms to ensure compliance with COVID-19 protocols when the schools resume.

Dr Danlami Hayo, Executive Secretary, Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), made this known while speaking with newsmen on the sideline of a one-day orientation exercise for School Base Management Committees (SBMC), on Thursday in Kano.

The orientation was organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Board to sensitise communities on schools reopening gidelines.

Hayo disclosed that the Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje had approved the amount to fast track school rehabilitation, construction of additional schools and classrooms as part of preparation to reopen schools in the state.

He said the gesture was imperative to encourage compliance with social distancing and COVID-19 guidelines outlined by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The added that the state government was not in a hurry to reopen schools without putting in place necessary facilities to protect pupils and teachers to stem further spread of the pandemic.

Danlami said: “The state government approved N3.2 billion for school rehabilitation, and why is it necessary to spend such huge amount of money?

“We know the population of Kano State and we know the pupils’ enrollment before the introduction of free and compulsory education programme is 1.5 million.

“After the implementation of the policy the enrollment increased to 3.5 million, and now there is outbreak of Coronavirus.

“The state government is spending to rehabilitate schools; we emphasised on construction of new classrooms and storey buildings in Kano metropolis where there is high population of pupils.

“Additional schools will be rehabilitated and new ones constructed in rural areas of the state.”

Hayo said that the state government had also expended over N100 million on procurement of hand sanitisers and other COVID-19 preventive kits for distribution to schools.

According him, the Board will train teachers on COVID-19 preventive tips to enable them protect themselves and their students to curb community transmission of the disease.

He added that the Board had also procured instructional materials and furniture for distribution to the schools while cars and motorcycles would be distributed to the teachers.

The Secretary reiterated government’s commitment to ensure prompt payment of salaries and improved welfare for teachers.

While commending UNICEF for organizing the orientation exercise, Hayo urged communities to protect school infrastructure and support government programmes to reinvigorate the education sector.

Also speaking, Tijjani Haladu-Baraya, the state Chairman of SBMC, said the exercise was important towards promoting community engagement in the preparations for the schools reopening processes.

Haladu-Baraya described the exercise as critical toward preventing spread of the virus when the schools reopened.

“The orientation exercise avail the SBMC opportunity to prepare and get ready in ensuring compliance with necessary COVID-19 protocols and the guidelines set out by the Federal Ministry of Education to facilitate safe reopening of schools.

“We want the pupils to be safe and their safety is the safety of the community because once a child is infected, he will transmit the virus to other members of the community,” he said.

Dr Ogu Enemeka and Muntaka Mukhtar, UNICEF resource persons, said the exercise was designed to disseminate guidelines for schools reopening and strengthen community engagement in ensuring safe reopening of the schools.

Enemeka called on the SBMC members to work towards encouraging participatory learning processes in their respective communities.

Mukhtar also enjoined the committees to work toward promoting good hygiene, sanitation and adherence to COVID-19 protocols to make the school environment safe.

The exercise was attended by officials of SUBEB, community leaders and members of the SBMC drawn from the 44 local government areas of the state.

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The Kebbi Government has begun training of 2,212 public primary and secondary school teachers on COVID-19 protocols, following the reopening of schools for exiting students in the state.

The Executive Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Hajiya Fatima Abubakar-Udulu, flagged off the training in Birnin Kebbi with 15 master trainers.

She said that the 15 master trainers would be trained so as to subsequently train the targeted teachers.

She said that 1,901 head teachers, 112 junior secondary schools’ principals, 115 teachers and 84 supervisors would be trained for seven days.

Abubakar-Udulu said that the training was organised in collaboration with the State Task Torce on COVID-19 Control.

She added that the training was made possible owing to the financial support secured from the Federal Government.

“To ensure absolute safety control measures for our students and teachers against COVID-19 pandemic, SUBEB in collaboration with the state Task Force on COVID-19 Control is giving training to 1,901 head teachers, 112 JSS principals, 115 teachers and 84 supervisors,” she said.

The Chairman of the task force, Alhaji Jafar Mohammed, said the training was aimed at enforcing the safety guidelines for the control of COVID-19 pandemic among the pupils, students and teachers while in school.

Mohammed who is the state Commissioner for Heath, said: “The safety guidelines of 20 students per classroom must be strictly adhered to.

“It is only the exiting students that are in the schools; so there are sufficient classrooms for such safety measures,” he said.

The Ekiti House of Assembly has urged the state government to put necessary measures in place to allay parents’ fear over the planned reopening of schools amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Mrs Adekemi Balogun, gave the advice during an interface with officials of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology at the Assembly complex in Ado-Ekiti on Friday.

Balogun, who said it had become necessary to ascertain the level of government’s preparedness through the ministry, said all necessary safety measures must be put in place ahead of the reopening of schools.

She stressed the need to fumigate school premises before resumption, as part of efforts geared towards ensuring adherence to the COVID-19 protocol.

The lawmaker also called proper monitoring of schools, particularly the private ones, so as to know the level of compliance to government guidelines.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Hakeem Jamiu, and other members of committee, who spoke during the interactive session, also charged the ministry officials to ensure proper hygiene, provision of pipe borne water and other necessary facilities for schools.

In his response, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr James Owolabi, commended the committee for its pro-activeness, assuring of government readiness to put in place proper measures before reopening of schools.

Owolabi said that government had commenced fumigation of schools, while the monitoring task force had been set up to issue clearance to schools that met up with government guidelines.

The permanent secretary also stated that the ministry was collaborating with the ministries of health, environment and infrastructure to provide the needed facilities to enhance conducive learning atmosphere for both the pupils and their teachers.

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has ruled out the possibility of tertiary institutions reopening now.

The National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr. Sani Aliyu, revealed this in a radio interview on Tuesday.

Aliyu said the PTF was at the moment concerned with measures that would flatten the curve and contain community transmission.

He said: “We know that schools, together with restaurants, bars and other entrainment activities could encourage community transmission of the dreaded coronavirus, hence the reason we were not in hurry to reopen them.

“However, we have taken pragmatic measures to ensure we do not lose a whole year in terms of primary to secondary school transition, hence the President’s approval for schools to reopen so that exiting students could return to school and write their examinations, some of which are regional.

“Summarily, there is no plan to reopen tertiary institutions until we get to the top of the numbers and also see clearly that we are making significant progress in terms of flattening the curve.”

The PTF had after a meeting with President Buhari announced the planned reopening of Primary 6, JSS 3 and SS3.

The Lagos State Government says the decision to reopen schools in the state will be taken in two weeks.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said this during a televised press briefing on Thursday.

Sanwo-Olu said the decision would be taken after an extensive meeting with stakeholders in the education sector.

He said, “I know we are all eager to know the plans we have for the reopening of our learning institutions. There is still a lot more works to be done in this regards and we are looking at the educational sector very differently.

“However, we will continue to have our online learning at our seven higher institutions.

“On primary and secondary schools, we will be engaging with the Ministry of Education and Lagos State Safety Commission, and we will be coming out with a full and specific pronouncement in two weeks’ time.

“Once the protocols have been agreed with the stakeholders at the primary and secondary level, as to when and how, the schools will be reopening.”

He also gave permission to all manufacturing companies to operate between 7am and 6pm.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo, said this on Tuesday at the Ministerial Press Briefing to mark the first year in office of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu Administration.

Adefisayo said despite the fact that it was the Federal Government that would decide when schools would open, the state was already putting measures in place to protect pupils and students.

She also added that the state has recruited no fewer than 3,000 teachers since the administration came into office.

She said: “Recall that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday said schools remain closed.

“I can’t give you a date when schools will resume in Lagos, but we are working with development partners and Ministries of Education across the country to come up with a series of protocols on how we will be able to manage when we open schools.

“So, we are working behind the scene.

“We have a paper on the protocols and we will start to share as the paper is finally approved in a few days’ time.

“There must be protocols that will address schools with large gatherings.

“There are many things we are thinking of.

“We are thinking about pupils not coming to school every day so that we will be able to spread the children across the whole school.

“Pupils don’t have to be in their class to learn.

“They can learn in a room with tables and chairs.”

Some parents in Lagos State have kicked against reopening of schools in view of the continued spread of the Novel Coronavirus.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria in interviews that it was important for the federal and state governments to continue to safeguard children from the pandemic.

NAN reports that the Federal Government on Wednesday said it was considering adopting morning and afternoon shifts of classes for reopening of schools.

The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, made the disclosure in Abuja during a briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

A civil servant, Ayobami Ojo, who resides in Ikotun, urged the government to allow children to remain at home until the final containment of the pandemic.

Ojo said: “There is no need considering any morning and evening classes for now.

“Let the children continue to stay safe at home as the virus is increasing everyday.

“Children will naturally not be as cautious as adults.

“Schools cannot be compared to markets.

“Reopening of schools should be considered when confirmed cases drop very well.”

A businesswoman, Abiodun Aina, who lives at Ayobo, said children’s lives could be jeopardised by school resumption now.

Aina said: “It is difficult to control adults, let alone children.

“We should not risk the lives of children.

“A two-shift option for classes may not stop the spread of the virus.

“It is better for them to remain at home until COVID-19 subsides or vaccination is found.

“Nigerians should stop putting pressure on government to reopen schools.

“Why are we in a rush?

“We need to be patient.”

A businessman, Kayode Jacob, who resides at Iyana Ipaja, said governments should not consider reopening primary schools at the moment.

Jacob said it would be dangerous.

He said: “University and secondary schools students can be cautioned.

“They can observe social distancing and other precautions, but these will be difficult for nursery and primary school pupils.

“The lives of our children should be paramount because they are the leaders of tomorrow.”