Oyo Bows to Pressure, Modifies School Reopening Date

Oyo State Government has modified the date fixed for the reopening of schools in the state.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, on Tuesday June 23, 2020.

Mr Adisa confirmed that the Commissioner for Education, Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye, and experts from the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) had been going round schools to determine the level of compliance with the Covid-19 prevention protocols in the schools.

He added that the team had since discovered that a space of one week would be needed to enable all schools test-run the facilities and security measures.

“By the new arrangement, only teachers are to resume to the schools on Monday June 29, 2020.

“Students in critical classes including Primary 6, JSS3 and SS3 will resume a week later on July 6, 2020,” the statement read.

“As of Monday, June 22, no fewer than 372 Heads of Schools have been trained by the EOC on the management of the COVID-19 containment procedures, while each of the schools is to appoint an Incident Manager, who will ensure compliance with the approved COVID-19 protocol.

“Each student is expected to wear face masks, while the schools are to prepare well laid out hand washing spots to guarantee regular washing of hands by the students and teachers.

“The Task Force also resolved that by July 15, the state government would have reviewed the situation with the schools and come to a conclusion whether the remaining classes would be able to resume or whether the students would have to wait to resume the new session in September 2020,” the statement added.

The Task Force thereby urged residents of the state to remain calm and to continue to observe the COVID-19 precautionary guidelines.

It noted that the spike in the number of positive cases in the state has to do with the ongoing massive community testing.

“The treatment protocols already put in place by our medical experts have ensured that those infected are being discharged in record time,” it said.

Oyo State Government had earlier directed all terminal classes including Primary Six (Pry 6), Junior Secondary School Three (JSS3) and Senior Secondary School Three (SSS3) to resume on June 29 in preparations for their various exams.