SCHOOL RESUMPTION: STUDENTS DEMAND COVID-19 SAFETY MATERIALS FROM ANAMBRA STATE GOVT
Reporter : ONYINYE CHIJIOBI
Private and public schools in Anambra State have resumed second half of the first term for 2020/ 2021 academic session.
The resumption followed the two weeks extension by state government to enable schools to put measures in place to contain the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor Willie Obiano had in a statewide broadcast in January 2021 shifted the resumption of school from January 18 to February 1, 2021.
The Governor noted that the shift in date was followed by the ravaging second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that the new resumption date was to give school managers enough time to make adequate preparations before resumption.
Radio Nigeria monitored the resumption in the cities of Nnewi and Awka.
Some of the schools visited included Nnewi High School; Community Secondary School Nawfia among others as Radio Nigeria observed that students’ temperatures were checked while hand washing points were also at strategic places.
Speaking with Radio Nigeria, the Principal Community Secondary School Umuokpu Awka, Mrs. Rose Onuya, noted that the school authority cleared the the school environment, purchased hand sanitizers and about 15 water running points to ensure that they followed the COVID-19 guidelines.
Also, the Principal, Maria Regina Model Comprehensive School Nnewi, the Reverend Sister Veronica Ifeoma, stressed that the school made it mandatory that students should have at least five face masks and sanitizer.
They also noted that they had set up COVID-19 Task Force in their schools.
A teacher, Mrs. Ifeoma Agbata, who said that though students had missed a lot, maintained that they were ever ready to impact on the students.
She however called on parents to ensure that they bought the students’ working materials to enable them cover their syllabus.
Some of the students interviewed, while expressing joy that they have resumed normal academic classes, said that government had not done enough to forestall the outbreak of the virus in schools.
They therefore called on government at all levels to provide students with hand sanitizers and face masks.