The Federal Government has announced on Friday that all public and private primary and secondary schools to reopen on Monday, September 22, 2014.
The Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who said this in Abuja while briefing newsmen after an emergency meeting with State Commissioners for Education, stated that preliminary measures put in place to curb the spread of Ebola Virus Disease is still intact.
Shekarau said that any State Ministry of Education that had not appointed designated desk officers on Ebola information should do so urgently before the resumption date, adding that state governments should support their state Ministries of Education with all necessary funds to ensure effective implementation of the preventive measures.
“We have now agreed that primary and secondary schools both public and private will reopen and begin formal classes on Monday, 22 September 2014. While this is in place, we have decided to continue the preventive measure.
“All primary and secondary schools, both public and private should be provided with a minimum of two blood pressure measuring equipment by the State Ministries of Education. The state ministries should determine the number of such equipment required and forward same to the Federal Ministry of Education.
“The Federal Ministry of Education will liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that appropriate equipment is procured. Those states that have not complied with this agreement should please do so.
“State governments are called upon to support their state Ministries of Education with all necessary funds to ensure effective implementation of these preventive measures. Regular washing of the hands is part of the preventive measures. There must be steady supply of water in schools. All states should ensure that this is put in place as the schools reopen,” he stated.
The minister directed all state Ministries of Education to establish a working and monitoring team for effective supervision of school activities before and after opening of schools.
According to him, each state Ministry of Education should appoint a designated desk officer who should also receive appropriate training and who must report on daily basis to the commissioner on situation in the schools.
“The names of such desk officers, their phone numbers and e-mail addresses should be communicated to the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Education,” he added.
The meeting was also attended by senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Health.
Dr. Thanks for your deep thought on the spread of EVD a very deadly one. In April 2014 my first Son picked Chicken Pox disease from School, we took him to hospital and they separated him from other remaining children by admitting him in the hospital. The next 3 days another one showed symptom and the next day the chicken pox appeared. Before you knew it my house was invaded by chicken pox, the 6 children(age 4-7 of primary & nursery) 2 teenage ( secondary) and 2 adults where infected. Before we quarantined the first person the whole house was already infected, before their school remembered to send the children back home, the whole children were infected. And this kept the children out of school for 3weeks. Please I am joining Mothers to say no to this 2014 September school resumption. It is better to be alive and go to school later, than not living for the school.
All Schools in Bayelsa State closed down for 4 months in 2012 because of flood. People could not enter their schools because water took over the schools. EBOLA is worse than flood. We could see flood coming and run away but EBOLA will be close to you and will not see it.
Please tell the Honorable minister of Health Professor Onyebuchie Chukwu to hold on action on School resumption date until Federal Government gets proper solution on how to curtail EBOLA. Professor Onyebuchie Chukwu to quickly set up research on how to produce EBOLA drugs and the Vaccines. After all, US who saved their CITIZENS from EBOLA did not have it. EBOLA emanated from West Africa so it is a challenge.
The schools you want to push our children to, does not have the ability to care for our children when it comes to Health issues like EBOLA. Starting from their Minders who are paid peanuts to care for this children, give them JIK, DETTOL or any other disinfectant to clean the toilets, that is when they will remember that they equally need it in their homes.
Also, remember that 80% of Primary and Nursery Children suck their fingers. What do you do about this? Professor Onyebuchie help us.