Students of both public and private secondary schools in Ogun, on Monday, resumed for the 2020/2021 academic activities, with most of them complying with the COVID-19 protocols.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Dapo Abiodun had early this month, through a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, directed primary and secondary schools in the state to reopen on Sept. 21.
The state government had also announced staggering of school hours for different categories of pupils and students.
NAN reports that Primaries I to III pupils and students from Junior Secondary School (JSS I-III) were directed to operate between 8 am. and 11 am. while their counterparts in Primaries IV to VI and Senior Secondary School (SSS I-III) would be in school between 12 noon and 3 pm.
A visit by NAN to some of the schools in Abeokuta saw some level of compliance with the COVID-19 protocols on the part of the school administrators, especially with the use of infrared thermometer to check the temperature of students.
Others were provision of hand washing facilities and hand sanitiser as well as making face masks available to the students who were not putting them on, at the main entrance of the schools.
Some of the schools visited included African Church Grammar School, Ita Eko; Macjob Secondary School, Onikolobo; Abeokuta Girls’ Grammar School, Onikolobo and St. Peter’s Catholic School, Olomore.
Speaking with NAN, the State Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr Samson Oyelere, said that schools in the state had resumed fully, with teaching commencing immediately.
He added that the schools obeyed the COVID-19 directives, as laid down by the state government.
“We have monitored some schools and we saw some measures being put in place by the state as agreed earlier with government at a meeting. The state government has provided some gadgets; so we are good to go.
“We also encouraged the students and their parents too to take responsibility,” he said