The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools has assured the Federal Government that private schools will comply fully with COVID-19 protocols for safe reopening of schools across the country.
This assurance was contained in a statement by the National President of the association, Yomi Otubela, made available to journalists in Lagos.
The association commended the Federal and State Governments for the decision to reopen schools, as from August 4, 2020, to allow SSS3 students in the country to prepare for their forthcoming West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations, and eventually join their counterparts in other West African states to partake in the examination scheduled to commence on August 17, 2020.
“This is particularly cheering for the students, parents, teachers, school owners and other stakeholders who have shown concerns over the initial suspension. We thank the Federal Minister of Education and Minister of State for Education for their fatherly roles in listening to our concerns about the suspension and taking steps to resolve it amicably,” the President said.
He added that NAPPS, as a responsible association, was fully ready to ensure that the Management of private schools considered safety a priority in schools by ensuring that the staff, students and visitors to schools adhered strictly to the safety protocols laid down by relevant authorities.
“We, therefore, call on the various state governments to follow suit by calling an emergency virtual meeting of all stakeholders in both public and private schools in their states and enlightening them on what needs to be put in place, having taken cognizance of their state peculiarities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools,” he noted.
Otubela said since the final year students were resuming first, there would be an opportunity to observe physical distancing.
“We shall use the opportunity of this resumption to assess the workability of safety protocols that are in place in schools and hope that we can use the success of it to ensure other students fully resume as soon as possible,” he added.
