COVID 19: FCTA warns against breaking reopening of schools

By Stanley Onyekwere

The FCT Administration has warned owners of private schools, purportedly warming up for resumption of schools against the COVID 19 protocol to desist from so doing.
The Administration, through the FCT Education Secretariat, in its reaction to the move, have stated that schools in the FCT must remain closed in accordance with the presidential lockdown order and the FCT minister’s directive to comply with the presidential order.
This was contained in a recent statement signed by Umar Marafa, Ag. Secretary, FCT Education Secretariat.
The statement reads in part: “It has come to the notice of the FCTA Education Secretariat that some private schools in the FCT are disseminating information to parents and students, indicating of resumption for the 2019/2020 3rd term calendar online, and that parents were therefore, expected to pay schools fees for this term prior to the purported resumption.
“The Education Secretariat wishes to remind school proprietors, parents and the general public that the directive closing all schools at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic explicitly stated that this directive was in effect until further notice, which implies no academic activity in any school in any form.
“The implication of this is that when the schools will be reopened, adequate notice of the fact that 2nd term was inconclusive will be factored into the academic calendar, which will dovetail into the 3rd term accordingly.
“Any action taken otherwise is likely to negatively distort the academic calendar of the schools involved.
“In light of the above, any school purporting to reopen for 3rd term before the approved calendar for opening of school post Covid-19 is doing so against the provisions of the extant guidelines on the establishment and operation of schools in the FCT.
“School proprietors are, therefore, advised to maintain the status quo and keep their schools closed and not re-open in any form; while they await further directives from the FCTA. Violators of this directive will face the full wrath of the law.”