5th September, 2014
All private and public primary and secondary schools in Nigeria are now to reopen for 2014/2015 academic activities on 22 September, the Federal government directed on Friday.
The Federal government had earlier directed all public and secondary schools earlier scheduled to reopen early this month to postpone to shift their resumption date to 13 October, 2014 as part of measures to curtail the spread of Ebola Virus Disease in the country.
But Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Nigeria’s minister of health had earlier this week indicated that the schools may be directed to open earlier than initially scheduled as because of the success the country has recorded in containing the spread of the disease in the country.
After meeting with Commissioners of Education from states across the country in Abuja on Friday, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau announced that it has been agreed that schools should re-open across the country on 22 September.
Shekarau said the meeting was satisfied with the measures put in place to contain the virus so far.
The minister however said states ministries of education have been directed to continue to collaborate with health workers in the monitoring of the schools before and after reopening.
The communique issued at the end of the meeting reads: “At the end of this emergency meeting, the following decisions were arrived at as preventive measures to which has been put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all students in our schools throughout the Federation.
“All Primary and Secondary schools, both Public and Private which were supposed to remain closed until Monday 13th October, 2014 will now reopen on Monday 22nd September, 2014 which is the new school resumption date for all schools throughout the Federation.
“All State Ministries of Education are to continue in the training of at least two (2) staff in each school, both Public and Private, by appropriate health workers on how to handle any suspected case of Ebola and also continue on the sensitization of all Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff in all schools on preventive measures. This training of staff must be concluded before the new resumption date.
“All State Ministries of Education should establish a Working and Monitoring Team for effective supervision of school activities before and after opening of schools.
“Each State Ministry of Education should appoint a designated Desk Officer who should also receive appropriate training and who must report on daily basis to the Honourable Commissioner on situation in the schools. The names of such Desk Officers, their phone numbers and e-mail addresses should be communicated to the Headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Education before the new resumption date.
“All Primary and Secondary schools, both Public and Private should be provided with a minimum of two (2) Blood Pressure Measuring Equipment by the State Ministries of Education. The State Ministries should determine the number of such equipment required and forward same to the Federal Ministry of Education before resumption date.
“The Federal Ministry of Education will liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that appropriate equipment are procured.
“All the above measures shall also apply in all Federal Government Colleges.
“State Governments are called upon to support their State Ministries of Education with all necessary funds to ensure effective implementation of these preventive measures”.