Private schools fully ready to re-open – NAPPS tell FG

The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) on Monday told the federal government that Private schools are fully prepared for reopening with strict adherence to safety guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within the school  environments.

Yomi Otubela, National President, NAPPS who made this known during a virtual conference on Monday said the association has ensured that  private schools are also ready for a phased reopening of schools for JSS3 and SSS3 students in the country by ensuring member schools strictly adhere to the safety protocols recommended by Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“It should also be noted that our members had also attended various virtual sensitisation programmes on ways to maintain safe & healthy school environments to prevent the spread of COVID- 19”, he said.

On the suspension of WAEC, NECO, the national president, appealed to the Federal Ministry of Education to revisit its reversal on resumption and suspension of 2020 public examinations (WAEC, NECO, etc).

According to him the essence of the reversal is to avoid emotional trauma that SSS3 students will be subjected to as a result of the cancellation of 2020 SSSCE.

“To avoid a situation where Nigerian students will be forced to seek an alternative way of writing these examinations by approaching neighbouring countries such as Ghana among others which will not be good for the image of the country.

“As a result of a prolonged closure, the majority of students may likely lose interest in education and embrace social vices inimical to their wellbeing and  public safety as well”, he added.

Otubela argued that phased reopening of schools for SSS3 and JSS3 will ensure there will be fewer students in schools than usual which makes physical distancing easier to enforce.

He also said a Task Force can be instituted by Federal and state governments to monitor and ensure strict compliance during the conduct of the examinations.

“Considering the level of success achieved so far with the reopening of airports for domestic flights through strict adherence to safety protocols for passengers, we are sure that the same level of success will be recorded when schools are reopened”, Otubela said.

The president however conveyed the appreciation of the association to the Federal government for the release of N2.3 trillion stimulus package to support teachers’ salary and CBN N5O Billion single digits intervention loan to cushion the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic.