Like Lagos in 2002, FG wants to introduce afternoon classes as it plans to reopen schools
The Federal Government has said it is working on modalities to reopen schools across the nation as the gradual ease of COVID-19 lockdown continues.
It says it is weighing the option of running two classes in the morning and afternoon in secondary schools to enable students make up for lost grounds. This is not the first time public schools in some parts of the country would be running morning and afternoon classes due to crisis.
On Thursday March 19, the government ordered the closure of all tertiary, secondary and primary schools nationwide and also ordered the closure of all the 104 Unity Schools in the country from March 26 over the outbreak of coronavirus. The move was part of proactive measures put in place by the government to limit the spread of the virus.
Speaking at a press briefing by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, assured Nigerians that all hands were on deck to reopen schools at a safe time.
He urged states, local governments, proprietors and other stakeholders to begin to take steps that would facilitate an early and safe reopening.
Nwajiuba said until the government is sure that children could go to school, and return safely without being infected, it would not take that risk of reopening the schools yet.
In 2002, weeks after the Ikeja cantonment armory explosion which claimed over 700 lives and forced many students to desert their schools damaged by the explosion, the Lagos State Government introduced morning and afternoon classes for secondary schools affected by the explosion.
Students of Army Cantonment Secondary School locate inside the barracks couldn’t return to their school which was badly shattered by the explosion, they were relocated to Immaculate Heart Comprehensive Junior School at Mende in Maryland where they held classes in the afternoon from 1pm to 6pm. The classes commence after the
Students of Ikeja Grammar School were also relocated to Bolade Grammar School in Oshodi where they held afternoon classes after the students of the host schools. The morning and afternoon classes continued for several months until the schools were renovated and safe for students.
