Private schools in Lagos have Joined their counterparts in public schools in aligning with the directive of the Lagos state government postponing resumption of primary and secondary schools to October 8.
While speaking with officials of various schools within the state, TheCable gathered that public and private schools are directly or indirectly affected by the directives.
Mrs Akpan, headmistress of Childland International School, Ojota, said the pupils failed to resume as at the fixed date (September 22), hence the school may have to wait till October 8 as scheduled by the government.”For private schools, we have resumed, though parents are still afraid to bring their children,” she said.
“But we are supposed to have resumed. We have the needed materials ready, but we are yet to see our pupils. We are expecting pupils anytime from now; anytime they come, we would welcome them, but we cannot force them to resume.”
Mr Folarin Bankole, a management official at Oluwalogbon Primary School, Ketu, told TheCable that the government had not passed on any provision to the school for detection or prevention of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
“We just heard that they would bring materials for prevention of Ebola, but we have not seen anything at all,” he said, before lamenting the lack of potable water in the school.”
No water; the means we have are not functioning well. We are expecting the government to bring in water. If they don’t bring water as expected, there’s nothing the school can do. It’s the government’s decision to provide; they can decide to dig a borehole.
“There’s water well in the school and we have public tap, too. Water may not come out of that tap for two solid weeks. Hence, no water for the pupils to use other than to resort to sachet water.
“Earlier, governor of the state, Babatunde Fashola, had promised public schools within the state that water
would be made available in 800 schools in order to help curb the outbreak of Ebola virus disease.
Deserted… Aiyedere primary school
Bankole went on to say that two other schools in the same compound as Oluwalogbon primary school – Idera primary school and Aiyedere primary schools – were equally experiencing absence of pupils.
“Oluwalogbon, Idera and Aiyedere primary schools are here, all the teachers have been coming and they would stay till closing time; we are waiting for government’s provision, but if they don’t come, we would resume the way we are; we have been doing it this way ever since,” he concluded.
But the case was different at Ayedere Ajibola senior high school, where an infrared thermometer was received from the government and and where pupils have access to potable water.
Vice principal of the school, Mr Yakubu, said the school was readying itself for resumption just as the governor said, and a teacher had already received training for prevention of Ebola outbreak.
“The government trained some teachers,” he said.
“I only know one within the school, but according to the health officer at the forum on Sunday, two people were trained per school.Teachers were around to invigilate Agric practical for Graduate Certificate Examination (GCE), which had been going on since August.
Secretary of Godland College, Ojota (another private school) who simply identified herself as Janet, said the school was meant to resume on Monday, but most of the pupils stayed away, consequently leaving the management of the school with no other option but to postpone resumption for two weeks in line with the directive of the state government.
“We have bought infrared thermometers and we have prepared hand sanitisers in the basins you can see out there,” she said.
“We are prepared to resume,but the students failed to show up, so we have postponed till October 8. However, the teachers are around any time of the day for preparation before resumption.”
At Caleb international school, the staff were careful not to tell if the school had resumed or not. But they expressed the preparedness of the school for EVD prevention, saying they were in possession of infrared thermometers and hand sanitisers for checking and sanitising anyone entering the school.
Oregun junior high school also fully adhered to the directive of the government, as the staff were around to prepare for resumption, which they agreed had been postponed to October 8.
The vice principal of the school declined to comment on the situation of things within the school.
“Sorry, we cannot make comments,” she said.
“We are civil servants and we have been asked not to speak; we don’t have the authority to speak to the press.”
The Federal government initially declared October 13 for resumption due to the presence of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria, but later rescinded that decision by re-scheduling for September 22.
However many states in the southwest decided otherwise, postponing resumption till October 8 in order to accommodate the Islamic festivities ahead.
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