Lagos Begins Work on Modalities for Reopening of Schools

Lagos State has begun preparation for the modalities for reopening of schools.

Adefisayo disclosed this at the inauguration of the school feeding programme in Lagos on Saturday May 23, 2020.

She stated that the state was already making efforts to achieve this, adding that the state awaits directive from the federal government.

According to the commissioner, the safety of the children would be considered first in any plan to reopen schools in the state.

“Nobody is happy about schools closure, we want the schools to open as soon as possible. It’s just that we have to watch the pandemic and put the safety of the children first.

“The Presidential Task Force has denied that they gave a timeline for schools resumption, but as it were, we can’t sit down and be looking, we must prepare the protocols for re-opening of schools. We have started and we are almost done with it,” she said.

She added that the state was planning distribution of transistor radios to public school pupils who were unable to access internet to enhance their learning on its radio/TV programme.

“We have already purchased the radios and people have donated towards it for us. It is a private donation, which is not from the state coffers, even our staff also donated,” she said.

“The problem is that there is diffusion because they are so many. If we give it to the school owners, we must have a method of ensuring that it gets to the teachers. If you give a school, it is not for the proprietors alone, it is for the teachers and staff, we are working on it,” she said.

While commenting on the modified school feeding programme. She said it was a continuation of the existing programme of the state government.

She stated that food is important in the development of a child.

“When a child is growing, it is quite imperative that a child should have a good quality, balanced diet to ensure that the brain grows appropriately, because a hungry child cannot learn properly,” she said.

The Executive Chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board, Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King, said the fully funded programme of the federal government, was designed with the support of the Lagos State government.

He stated that a lot of effort was put into ensuring that the distribution of the Take Home Rations was transparent.

“Before now, the Lagos Home Grown School Feeding programme has been in operation in our public primary schools, providing one meal a day to our pupils to enhance their physical and mental wellbeing.

“This will in turn aid enrolment, retention and completion in our primary schools.

“We are targeting seven Local Government Area Authority (LGEA); Apapa, Lagos Mainland, Kosofe, Ikeja, Somolu, Oshodi-Isolo, Lagos Island and in a few days, all the targeted households would have received their vouchers which will enable them collect their food rations,” he said.