Niger Schedules Monday, 25th January 2021, As Schools Resumption

Olabode Adaramola

Niger State Government has said  that  it has adjusted it’s 2020/ 2021 academic session first term,  earlier slated to commence on Monday, 4th January, 2021,  to Monday,  25th January 2021 as resumption date for all basic and secondary schools  in the state to resume classes for academic activities.

The State Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of   Education, Hajiya Hannatu Jibrin Salihu stated this at the weekend during an interactive session with the newsmen in Minna, the state capital  adding that  this was as a result of the problems of Covid-19 being monitored by government at  the national and  local level in order to guarantee the safety of  the school managers, teachers and learners altogether.

She said “with the report of the sad wave of Covid-19 and the spike of the global pandemic, the ministry felt obliged to approach the challenges of the pandemic with caution. This  we stayed action on the resumption of schools,as initially scheduled to watch the situation and align with the direction expected to be provided by the National Council for Disease Control( NCDC) and other relevant health authorities.

Hajiya Hannatu Jibrin Salihu further argued that while  the state government was in tune with Monday, 18th January 2021 date set for resumption of schools across the country, that the state government chose to be on the safe side of caution.

She added  that after consultation with different stakeholders, cross the state  that it was areed nd newsmen in Minna, adding that all basic and secondary schools were to resume for classes on Sunday January 24, 2021, for students in boarding schools and  Monday January 25, 2021 for students in day schools.

According to her, the one week interval was to enable all schools to put necessary protective measures in place, adding that parents, students  and pupils were expected to make provisions to comply with Covid -19 protocols in full, saying, “that on resumption, Principals, teachers and students must ensure full compliance  with the following standard Covid-19 protocols which include: maintaining physical distancing by avoiding oversized classes and overcrowded areas,i.e. no Assemblies, visiting days or large gatherings of any kind”.

The Hon. Commissioner, ministry of Education also advocated for proper wearing of facemasks, at all time, within and outside the schools and periodically within the schools by parents, students, pupils and others, as well as adherence to sanitization protocols particularly constant washing and or sanitizing of hands for all those entering schools and periodically within the schools.

Others, include: carrying out temperature checks for all those entering schools and periodically within the schools as well as activating and deploying in full, all Covid-19 protocols put in place during the first wave of the pandemic such as drop and pick-up points and provisions of holding rooms on resumption.