The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), has called on governments across the country to provide running water and personal protective equipment (PPE) in schools ahead of the reopening of the schools.
Anslem Izuagie, the National President, ANCOPSS, in an interview with a section of the media, appealed to the Federal Government to provide PPE for both teachers and pupils, saying there was nothing on the ground as regards the PPE.
He, however, said the association was in support of reopening of schools for the SSS3 only.
“We appeal to the government to provide all the PPE. We are in support of the resumption for the certificate classes to write their exams. For now, there is no PPE. I want to believe government will play their part. I believe before the 17th of August, they must have provided everything because they can’t tell us to go and write exam without providing the PPE,” Izuagie said.
On his part Dr Mike Ike-Ene, NUT Secretary General, also called on the Federal Government to ensure that running water and the PPE were provided for pupils and teachers and observe other Covid-19 safety protocols.
“Disinfecting schools, fumigation, provision of consumables and non-consumables, running water through buying of tanks; these are the things we clamoured for.
“We want to appeal to the Federal Government to ensure that all the commissioners of education all over the country provide all that is needed to keep both teachers and pupils in safety during the period of revision and the exam.
“Most of the commissioners at the stakeholders’ meeting today all boasted that they had 90 per cent of everything needed to provide safety measures for the teachers and pupils, but we want to remind them that talk is cheap. It is important they do the needful. The reality is all these things should be ready so that both students and teachers will be safe. This is one of the reasons we agreed to writing the examination.”
Ike-Ene stated that the NUT national officials would monitor all schools to ensure government’s commitment to its promises.
