The Lagos State Government has threatened to close down any school in the state that record a spike in the COVID 19 cases after the reopening of schools.
Mrs Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Lagos State Ministry of Education, stated this at a two-day training for school leaders and educators on the sustainable approach to the safe reopening of public and private schools in Lagos State.
The training was themed, ‘Moving Forward: A training for the Safe Reopening of Lagos State Public and Private Schools.’
Seriki-Ayeni urged school leaders to have qualitative safety plans that would help protect students, teachers and workers when schools reopen in the state.
She said, “Schools must be willing and ready to close or shut down briefly should there be a case of COVID-19 occurrence in the school premises. It is not enough to reopen but to remain open since some schools all over the world had to shut down after reopening due to a spike in the pandemic.
“All schools must make efforts to comply with these requirements, not just for the improvement of the overall school operations but for the safe reopening of academic activities to support the Lagos State Government’s quest for a full return.”
She advised schools to have flexible teaching and learning plans where students and teachers who felt sick could teach or learn from home via online platforms.
Mr Olaniran Emmanuel, Head, Public Affairs, OEQA, in a statement, said the training was organised to encourage school leaders to have comprehensive operational and learning plans, quality health and safety plans as well as data and communication plans for the safe reopening of schools in the state.
Dr. Adefolarin Opawoye, the Infection Prevention Control Team Lead, Lagos State for COVID-19 response, in his lecture titled ‘COVID-19 and the Education Sector’ explained that COVID-19 could only be transmitted by droplets, and strongly advised on the regular use of face masks in schools.
