Respite as FCTA reopens schools next week

• …Says no 3rd term classes, fees payment

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has set next week for the immediate reopening of all schools in the Territory, for the 2020/2021 Academic Session.
In particular, the Administration directed all boarding schools to reopen on Sunday October 11, while Day schools would resume on Monday, October 12, 2020 respectively.
Making the much anticipated announcement of the school resumption in FCT yesterday, the FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello disclosed that guidelines and check list for post COVID-19 school resumption will be simultaneously released and distributed to the schools.
Bello however said the decision to reopen schools had been probably one of the most painstaking decision that the FCT administration had to take as team.
He therefore enjoined parents, guardians and stakeholders to compliment the efforts of the FCT administration by further creating awareness and sensitisation of their people and wards on the needs to adhere strictly to health guidelines.
According to him, “In opening of schools we have to be very careful and conscious of the need to ensure that all the efforts of all of us during the last few months are not in vein.
“Based on the reality on ground as well as the inputs and advice of medical personnel and the guidelines of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF) and releases from the Federal Ministry of Education.
“We have come to the conclusion that it is relatively safe for us to open up schools in the FCT base on certain guidelines and conditions which will be release shortly”.
The Minister opined that the gathering of young people and children within enclosed environment posed very peculiar challenges that requires handling with utmost care caution particularly by the schools and education administrators.
He however warned that the virus had not been eliminated and it was still a deadly disease, saying “now is therefore not the time for us to be complaisant.”
In her part, the Chairman FCT Schools Resumption Committee, Dr Fatima Abdulrahman, who read the guidelines for the post COVID-19 school resumption disclosed that there was no going to be third term.
Abdulrahman directed schools to conduct revision and examinations to tidy up and end second term within two weeks, so as to immediately commence the new academic session.
She reiterated an existing strong directive to private schools to avoid demanding for third term fees, adding that maximum class size should be 25 students per class.
She added that as part of the guidelines, the FCT administrator had suspend all activities that encourages crowding and clustering in schools.
She stressed that every school should have a sick bay where students with high temperature would be kept under the supervision of health personnel until their parents come for them.
She warned that any school that does not comply with the guidelines and an outbreak occurs in the school due to negligence, risk closure.