Schools in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, will reopen on October 12, 2020, for the 2020/2021 academic session seven months after the schools were shut down following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
The third term of the outgoing session has been scrapped while the first term of the new session will run from October 12 to December 18, 2020.
Meanwhile, boarding students are expected to report to their various schools on October 11.
Minister of the FCT, Musa Bello, who disclosed this during a press briefing with school proprietors and stakeholders, said there would be no third term and warned owners of private schools against demanding school fees.
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He said parents and guardians are not supposed to pay for the scrapped third term academic activities, adding, “There is no third term, private schools should not demand third term school fees.”
The minister hinted that there was no record of any COVID-19 case during the reopening of schools for exit classes, expressing optimism that officials and pupils would ensure compliance with COVID-19 protocols once schools reopen.
Bello said that the guidelines for the reopening of schools would soon be released and the academic calendar will cover the third term that was left due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The minister urged the school owners to be strict and rigid on COVID-19 protocols, warning that all school owners must be vigilance.
“Be vigilant, strict and rigid in the implementation of COVID-19 protocols for the safety of our children and ourselves as we reopen schools. Nothing should be taken for granted,” he said.
