Both the Kogi and Benue State Governments have announced the resumption dates for students in their respective states following nearly five months of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recall that the Federal Government in its meeting with state governments and other education stakeholders on Monday agreed to reopen schools on 4th August for students preparing to write the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
WASSCE would thereafter begin on 17th August.
In Benue State, the government appears to align with the conclusions of the meeting.
The Benue State Government announced the reopening of schools for final year classes accordingly.
Commissioner for Education, Professor Dennis Ityavyar, while briefing newsmen after a meeting with Governor Samuel Ortom at Government House in Makurdi disclosed this.
He said pupils in primary six and students in Junior Secondary School (JSS) 3 and Senior Secondary School (SSS) 3 are the ones affected by the directive.
Ityavyar added that other examinations such as Mock for SSCE and JSS were also scheduled to commence in no distant time.
He said while government had put necessary measures in place to curtail the spread of COVID-19 among the pupils and students, parents were to also make provision for face masks and other safety measures.
The education commissioner added that the governor had approved a committee on the planned handover of missionary schools in the state to their owners, headed by the Secretary to the State government (SSG), Professor Anthony Ijohor, to look into the issue and report back within one week.
Kogi resumption
Kogi schools will reopen for exit students on Monday, 10th August.
This was made known by the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Wemi Jones in Lokoja after a stakeholders meeting on Tuesday.
According to the Commissioner, the date was arrived at to allow for adequate measure to be put in place to guarantee safety of the students and teachers in compliance with the COVID-19 protocols.
They further resolved that all the intended examinations in the state will be announced later, while urging eligible candidates for those exit exams to finalize their registration immediately.
The stakeholders further agreed that all the NCDC Covid-19 protocols should be fully put in place at various schools’ entrance gates, such as: Running water and soap, hand sanitisers, fumigation of schools, social distancing, face shield, infrared, thermometer, isolation centres, among others.
The ministry would also set up a committee that will monitor and ensure that the protocols against Covid-19 are strictly adhered to.
The state’s Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Ojo Ranti, appealed to the state government to intensify its efforts to meet up with the requirements of the Covid-19 protocols in public schools to guarantee the safety of students and teachers before the date of resumption.
Also speaking, the state’s Chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Dr Habeeb Yaqeen, said that the state government’s decision was a welcome development, and assured the ministry of their cooperation.
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