The Federal Government has approved for schools to reopen so that graduating students can prepare and write exams in person. Last week Thursday, I shared with my mailing list that the Minister of Education had submitted a document regarding guidelines for school reopening to the Senate and the document is titled, “Guidelines for schools and learning facilities reopening after COVID-19 Pandemic closure”. Over the past few weeks, I have also shared through diverse methods on important considerations for a possible reopening. This is a short reminder for our educators because some countries who reopened to students have had situations of students getting ill.
So, I would be reiterating the most important points. FG says all schools must comply with guidelines issued by the Federal Ministry of Education before they will be allowed to reopen. No matter the type of school you operate, you must infuse these basic considerations into all aspects of school operations:
- Use of face coverings: This must be made compulsory before access to school facilities and everyone must be encouraged to keep it on at all times.
- Hand hygiene: This must not just be preached but tools must be provided. Hand washing stations and hand sanitizers must be incorporated
- Social distancing: This must be observed in classroom plans, school bus arrangements and use of playgrounds.
- Frequent and thorough cleaning and disinfection after resumption: This must happen more frequently than it was done pre-covid because of the risks associated with high touch surfaces.
For all these to be effective, there must be continuous education and sensitization of staff and students to ensure full compliance and reduce complacency. (You must have noticed the complacency on the streets. This must not happen in our schools to ensure safety of our children).
It is also now a PRIORITY that schools must set up an isolation room and procedures in line with NCDC guidelines so that when someone gets ill, standard operating procedures are followed without stigma and risk to other students and staff before professional help arrives.
Plan ahead. It’s better to be safe than sorry. As you plan, think of a possible use of the blended learning approach for this and also ensure your safety measures suits your unique context.
