As the gradual resumption of schools is expected to commence this week, with students preparing to write the West Africa Examination Council ( WASSCE), private schools are to wait for compliance clearance from the office of Education Qualify Assurance, in line with various safety guidelines to be followed with the COVID-19 protocol.
Speaking at a press briefing last weekend, director general, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, said the government will ensure compliance with the guidelines to safeguard learners, teachers, workers and parents during this trying time.
To realise this objective, the OEQA’s evaluators will be visiting schools across the state’s six education districts to ensure compliance.
Some of the guidelines as enumerated by the director general, includes, thorough fumigation of all schools’ environment including classrooms, chairs and desks, provision of running water and washing hand soap, provision of hand sanitizer,and wearing of nose masks.
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Others are avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness and maintaining social distance and one meter physical distancing in sitting arrangement.
Seriki-Ayeni reiterated that SS3 students are going back to school for the purpose of revision towards their examinations,which come up on August 17th, 2020.
“We issued these guidelines towards readiness for the reopening of schools. Presently, school resumption is limited to SS3 students, as they prepare for final examinations,” she said.
Seriki-Ayeni however disclosed that during the reopening exercise,officers from her office would be going round to issue compliance clearance to schools base on compliance level to the guidelines for reopening of schools.
She said: “It is of immense importance that the office monitors strict adherence to the protocol to prevent infection and the spread of COVID-19 among the students.”
Since the closure of schools in March, 2020 as a result of the pandemic, the director general recalled that the office of EQA has embarked on massive sensitization to ensure public and private schools adhere strictly to the directive of the Lagos state government with regards to closing down of schools.
According to her, in the on-going monitoring exercise, the office successfully visited 121 schools across the six education districts in the state and sealed no fewer than 18 private schools that defied the closure directive of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.
