Following Federal Government order, re-opening schools for exit classes, the move has been generating reactions among parents, guardians and school management.
Information Officers from the Information Ministry visited some schools at Ogbaru Local Government Area (LGA) to ascertain the level of preparedness of schools in the area for resumption.
Principal, Josephine Oduah Memorial Secondary School, Akili-Ozizor Mrs Ekene Onyekwelu confirmed that the school was ready for resumption.
She said that some preventive measures had been installed to guarantee safety of the students and their teachers.
According to the principal, the school has formed a COVID-19 Task Force, whose members have been selected from among the teachers.
“Their duty is to ensure that both teachers and students comply strictly to all COVID-19 preventive measures that include proper wearing of face masks, social distancing and washing of hands regularly with soap under running water.
“The Senior Secondary School (SSS) 3 classes have been divided into various classrooms and teachers have been told to prepare revision examinations in different subjects with a stipulated timetable.’’
She emphasised that teachers were now faced with extra work of re-grooming the students after many months of mixing with people outside the school.
A Class Room Teacher in the school, Mrs Mary Osakwe said that COVID-19 had disrupted the academic calendar of the country.
“Although re-opening of the schools involves so many risks, students have to take the examination in order to move the education system forward.’’
Principal, Community Secondary School, Atani, Mrs Anthonia Epundu said that the teachers and students in the school were well prepared to start from where they stopped.
She said that COVID-19 task force in the school was working in order to ensure safety of students and teachers.
“The school has infrared thermometers, face masks, sick bay and Isolation centres.’’
Dean of Studies at the school, a Mathematics Teacher, Mr Ngozi Uchendu appealed to the State’s Education Board to assist them with funds to put necessary items of learning in place for smooth running of the school.
A teacher at Anthony Obaze Memorial Secondary School, Ochuche, and Mrs Ngozi Olisa said that they needed water for maintaining proper hygiene.
A parent, Mrs Ifeoma Menankiti, urged the government to allow all classes in Primary, Secondary and the Tertiary Institutions to resume.
According to her, many students have lost moral values inculcated into them in schools because of the long forced ‘vacation’.
She appealed to Federal Government and State Education Boards to extend the examinations to September to enable the students to prepare very well for better results.
