The Federal Government on Tuesday directed all public and private primary and secondary schools not to resume till 13th October.
The Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, gave the directive when he briefed newsmen after a meeting with Commissioners for Education in Abuja, saying, the minister and all commissioners met today,26th August, to discuss issues related to the reopening of schools for the new academic year vis-à-vis the Ebola epidemic issue.
“At the end of the meeting, the following decisions were arrived at as preventive measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students in our schools throughout the federation,” he said.
“All primary and secondary schools both public and private are to remain closed until Monday, 13th October 2014, which is the new resumption date for all schools throughout the federation.
“This is to ensure that adequate measures are put in place before the students report back to school.”
Shekarau said the meeting also agreed that all ministries of education should immediately organise training for at least two staff in each public and private school and that schools must ensure that the training was given by appropriate health personnel on how to handle any suspected case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
Training of staff, he said, should be concluded not later than 15th September. He also directed all the state ministries to establish a Working and Monitoring Team and also appoint a designated Desk Officer on Ebola.
Shekarau said the officers must report on daily basis to the commissioners on situation in the schools not later than 1st September.
He ordered the immediate stoppage of all summer classes in some private schools warning all private primary and secondary schools to comply with the directives, which also applies to Federal Government Colleges.
While urging state governments to support this cause, Shekarau advised all tertiary institutions to suspend exchange of staff and students’ programmes, visits, and major international seminars and workshops until further notice.
“They are to monitor movements of foreign students in their campuses and liaise with appropriate government health institutions to organise and ensure effective sensitisation programme for all their staff,” he said.
The minister said that he would be meeting again with all the commissioners on 23rd September to review the situation in all states.
