COVID-19: Keep all Schools shut until 2021 – ASUU urge Federal Government! See details 👇
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have urged the Federal Government not to open schools until 2021 based on the current situation of the COVID-19 panndemic in the counrty.
The body belive that it will be unwise and too risky to expose the lives of students to danger when there are no indications that the COVID-19 situation in the country is diminishing.
In addition, the body said it is im full support of the Federal Government for putting on hold the resumption of Senior Secondary School 3 students for their WAEC exams whichbwas scheduled to commence on the 4th of August.
While speaking in an interview with PUNCH News, The Chairman of ASUU, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, said no reasonable government will take such risk except if the parents sign an agreement with the Government.
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He said;
“Look, Kenya has said they have closed all their schools till next year (2021); they too have exams to write. Safety first. If it means closing the schools until next year to safeguard the lives of Nigerian children and safeguard the health of all Nigerians, so be it. So, if that will help us to address cases that can lead to increase in mortality, I think Nigerians should go that way and all of us should see reason for it. If they need to cancel admission for the year, it is good for them. Life matters first, people must have life first before they can go to university. Are the universities ready to work now?”
“Our position is that they should not experiment with the lives of our children. Nobody can tell; the situation may soon normalise and they can do their exams and there is another opportunity for external candidates around November. So, it’s not as if the door is totally closed.”
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He also said that ASUU has seen any indication that schools are secured enough to resumption of students.
He said, “The first thing that should be tackled is whether schools are safe. And if the schools are not safe, why do you want to carry out an experiment with the lives of our children? An attempt to send back the children to school at a time there is a spike in COVID-19 cases in Nigeria is like experimenting with the lives of our children.”
“If they put all the things in place, including social and physical distancing, sanitisers, kitting the children as we see in other places, decontamination with water flowing in the schools and all the gadgets, why not? So, if government can meet all these conditions, then they can reopen the schools. But if they cannot meet all these conditions, they should not experiment with even 10 students in any school.”
