The ANAP Foundation COVID-19 Think Tank has expressed great concern over the recent proposal by the federal government to re-open schools for graduating students, noting that science and data reveal that the pandemic is currently at the community transmission phase and still approaching its peak.
In a press statement made available to the public on Sunday, Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, vice-chairman, and Atedo Peterside, chairman, of the Foundation, said, “Having school children from different homes gather in enclosed classrooms and interacting closely for long hours at this stage of our epidemic will, in our opinion, portend great danger for the pupils, their teachers and their immediate families.”
ANAP Think Tank however noted with interest, the recent approval by the Federal Government, through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF), of new guidelines to fight the spread of the pandemic while easing up some sectors in order to gradually resume socio-economic activities in the country.
The foundation also commended the central government for lifting the ban on interstate travel, which many opined had been observed more in its breach, giving way to exploitation of travelers and a high level of malpractice in its enforcement by the security agents.
“We also welcome the proposed resumption of air travel as this will be based on well-established international protocols, which make air travel relatively safe,” the statement says.
The Foundation noted that although the PTF has specified appropriate protocols as safeguards, they however pointed that many schools, especially the public ones, will not have the required resources to put these in place, nor the wherewithal to moderate children’s behaviour.
“We therefore appeal to the government and all stakeholders involved, to exercise caution and follow the science of the disease as established, to avoid exposing the population to large-scale Covid-19 infections; let us not find ourselves in the situation of countries like Israel and South Africa that have had to reverse their premature school reopening, due to severe spikes in infection among the pupils, staff and their families.
“We urge that opening of schools be delayed for a few more weeks to see our Covid-19 epidemic peak and begin to reverse, before embarking on any school reopening plans, even for graduating classes. This is current global best practice.
“It is our belief that graduating students can still get back on track with their future careers by taking their examinations just ahead of general school reopening, when the epidemic curve might have flattened, and it is much safer to resume classes,” the statement noted.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had also in a statement last week cautioned against the reopening of schools, insisting that it’s not ripe for schools to reopen.
The union said the federal government’s directive for schools to reopen across the federation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic could endanger the lives of poor Nigerian pupils.
