The Federal Government on Monday said the Senior Secondary School 3 pupils will resume on August 4 in preparation for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination , which is starting on August 17 .
The Federal Ministry of Education ’s Director of Press and Public Relations , Ben Bem Goong , who disclosed this in a statement titled , ‘ Exit classes to reopen August 4,’ said the decision to recall the pupils was taken during a virtual meeting involving the ministry and commissioners of education in the 36 states of the federation .
The ministry said on resumption on August 4 , the pupils would have two weeks within which to prepare for WASSCE .
Although the Nigeria Union of Teachers and the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, in separate interviews with The PUNCH , supported the reopening of final year classes, they insisted that state governments must provide running water and personal protective equipment .
Recall that schools in Nigeria had been shut since March following the outbreak of coronavirus .
But the Presidential Task Force on COVID - 19 had , at its press conference on June 29 , said the SSS 3 pupils in preparation for WASSCE would resume .
But the Federal Government , after the Federal Executive Council meeting on July 8 , said it had suspended the plan to recall graduating pupils for WASSCE because of the COVID - 19 spread .
Despite the Federal Government ’s decision to delay the resumption of the pupils , states , including Oyo and Cross River , had recalled their SSS 3 pupils .
The Federal Ministry of Education , in its statement on Monday , said the virtual meeting was held to take a decision on WASSCE .
According to the ministry, the meeting was attended by the NUT, the proprietors of private schools and chief executives of examination agencies .
It stated , “ It was agreed that the exit classes should resume immediately after the Sallah break , from August 4 , 2020 to enable them to prepare for the WASSCE scheduled to commence from August 17 , 2020 .
“The meeting also resolved that a passionate appeal be made to the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID - 19 and public spirited Nigerians for assistance to schools across the country to enable them to fast -track the preparations safe reopening , as agreed .”
Govt meets NABTEB , others today
“Another meeting is to be convened tomorrow ( Tuesday ) between the Federal Ministry of Education and chief executives of examination bodies namely , the National Examination Council and the National Business and Technical Examination Board to harmonise their examination dates . ”
DAWN hails FG on school reopening for WASSCE
In its reaction, the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria lauded the Federal Government for reversing its earlier position on reopening of schools for final year pupils in secondary schools .
The Director - General of DAWN , Seye Oyeleye , in an interview with journalists on Monday , said the South -West states were ready for reopening of schools .
He said , “Our position on the FG’s reversal and agreeing to reopen schools on August 4, is that it should be seen as a victory for dialogue which is always the hallmark of a federal system that works .
“We have always maintained here in the South-West region that such a sensitive matter was never going to be solved by an executive fiat from the central government .
“But rather once we have conflicting proposals on the way forward particularly regarding the WASSCE exams it becomes a necessity for the federating states to sit down at the table to discuss and reason together .”
Principals seek face masks , PPE for pupils , teachers
On its part, ANCOPSS appealed to the Federal Government to provide PPE for both teachers and pupils .
Speaking to one of our correspondents on the telephone , the National President , ANCOPSS, Anslem Izuagie , said there was nothing on the ground as regards the PPE .
He , however , said the association was in support of reopening of schools for the SSS 3 only .
He stated , “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 17 th of August , they must have provided everything because they can ’ t tell us to go and write exam without providing the PPE. ”
Make PPE , running water available in all schools – NUT
The NUT Secretary General, Dr . Mike Ike -Ene , in an interview with The PUNCH , appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that running water and the PPE were provided for pupils and teachers .
Listing demands of the union , he said , “Disinfecting schools , fumigation, provision of consumables and non -consumables , running water through buying of tanks ; these are t
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