Vice President, Industrial Global Union, Comrade Issa Aremu, has called on the Federal Government to negotiate an out-of-season date for West African Examinations Council’s (WAEC) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
He said there should be continuous dialogue by all stakeholders as steps are being taken to reopen schools, even as he emphasized the need to protect the lives of students and ensuring digital creative learning processes.
Speaking in Kaduna yesterday on the occasion of this year’s International Nelson Mandela Day, themed: COVID: 19: Preventing the Spread in Schools, Aremu said, though timetable for WAEC’s SSCE has been announced to commence from August 4, the out-of-season date was necessary to protect school children.
He said, “In Kenya, schools will remain shut till 2021. Ghana is already reconsidering the decision on reopening after a spike in COVID-19. The JAMB Bulletin Volume 1 No. 18 of July 13, culled from a creditable South African source, 775 schools in the country have been affected by COVID-19. About 26 of the states in America are rolling back the plan to reopen schools.”
He however advised that caution should be the watch word because even with the adults, there is an inefficiency of the NPIs (Non-pharmaceutical Interventions) to control Covid-19.
“Nigerian government should request WAEC to conduct the SSCE when the environment is right out of the regular May/June, November/December seasons. Whatever the consensus on schools reopening, there is an urgent need for a systematic awareness about prevention of Virus infection among pupils, teachers and parents,” he said.
“There should be Installation of hand-washing facilities, provision of equipment for body temperature checks, provision of personal protective equipment, body disinfectants at all entering points to their major facilities, including the gates, hostels, classes, offices, decontamination of the premises and teaching facilities that ensure social/physical distancing in class sizes and meeting spaces among others.”
He explained that “All these raise critical issues of capacity and resources availability. The most important advice is for all schools to encourage their students to maintain good hand and respiratory hygiene to remain safe. School proprietors, headmasters, and head mistresses must ensure that students have access to clean water and soap at all times while on the school premises.”
By AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna
Source: [THE NATION]
- How Parents Can Help Their Children Build Confidence and Self-Esteem - October 7, 2025
- October Teens Club Meeting Recap: Procrastination vs Taking Action - October 7, 2025
- Poor Reading Culture in Nigeria: Causes and Solutions - September 22, 2025
- Why Character Education Matters in Schools - September 22, 2025
- Parenting Styles and Their Impact on Children - September 18, 2025
- FOH Leadership Teens Club Meeting – September Highlights - September 8, 2025
- Helping Children Through School Transitions (Nursery → Primary, Primary → Secondary, etc.) - September 4, 2025
- Boot Camp 2025 “Rooted and Rising” - September 4, 2025
- BOOT CAMP 2025 – ROOTED & RISING! - August 29, 2025
- Inspiring Minds, Honouring Educators: FOH Hosts 3rd Edition of Pa Alfred Shonubi Quiz Competition and Teachers’ Awards - July 17, 2025
Tags: #Education