Teachers are not resuming without PPEs, running water – NUT insists

Ahead of the proposed August 4th reopening of schools, the Nigeria Union of Teachers has insisted that state governments must provide running water and personal protective equipment.

The Federal Ministry of Education’s Director of Press and Public Relations,  Ben Bem Goong, who disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘Exit classes to reopen August 4,’ said the decision to recall the pupils was taken during a virtual meeting involving the ministry and commissioners of education in the 36 states of the federation.

The ministry said on resumption on August 4,  the pupils would have two weeks within which to prepare for WASSCE.

Although the Nigeria Union of Teachers and the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, in separate interviews with The PUNCH, supported the reopening of final year classes, they insisted that state governments must provide running water and personal protective equipment.

Recall that  schools in Nigeria had been shut since March following the outbreak of coronavirus.

But the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 had, at its press conference on June 29, said the SSS3 pupils in preparation for WASSCE would resume.

But the Federal Government, after the Federal Executive Council meeting on July 8, said it had suspended the plan to recall graduating pupils for WASSCE because of the COVID-19 spread.

Despite the Federal Government’s decision to delay the resumption of the pupils, states, including Oyo and Cross River, had recalled their SSS3 pupils.

The Federal Ministry of Education, in its statement on Monday, said the  virtual meeting was held to take a decision on WASSCE.

According to the ministry, the meeting was attended by the NUT, the proprietors of private schools and chief executives of examination agencies.

It stated, “It was agreed that the exit classes should resume immediately after the Sallah break, from August 4, 2020 to enable them to prepare for the WASSCE scheduled to commence from August 17, 2020.

“The meeting also resolved that a passionate appeal be made to the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and public spirited Nigerians for assistance to schools across the country to enable them to fast-track the preparations safe reopening, as agreed.”

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“Another meeting is to be convened tomorrow (Tuesday) between the Federal Ministry of Education and chief executives of examination bodies namely, the National Examination Council and  the National Business and Technical Examination Board to harmonise their examination dates.”