Nigerian govt provides update on reopening of schools

The Ministry of Education has provided an update on the reopening of schools in the country. Ben Bem Goong, the Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Education, in a statement on Friday said the Nigerian government has given school owners in the country up to 29th July 2020 to meet the guidelines towards the reopening of schools in the country. Goong also confirmed that the Ministry of Education has met with its Health counterpart and Nigerian Centre for Disease Control,(NCDC), the Education in Emergencies Working Group, and had developed and circulated guidelines for the safe reopening of schools. The statement said that schools are to undertake self-assessment and send feedback to State Ministries of Education, on July 29 2020, unfailingly. “Thereafter, consultations with relevant stakeholders will be held on 30th July 2020, to review the situation and decide on a specific date for reopening of schools or otherwise,” it added. “We have consulted widely with stakeholders in the education sector, including Commissioners of Education in all the states of the federation, the Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria,(APSON), National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools,(NAPPS), Provosts of Colleges of Education, Rectors of Polytechnics, Vice-Chancellors of Universities, State Governors, and development partners on the issue of safe reopening of schools.” The Federal Government had last week released guidelines ahead of the planned resumption of schools, at every level in the country.