Education
FG Approves Partial Reopening of Schools, Inter-state Movement
By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
The Federal Government has announced a partial reopening of schools but only pupils in Primary 6 and students in JSS 3 and SS3 are allowed to resume to prepare for their examinations.
But all schools including primary schools and daycare centres across the nation remain closed until further evaluation while arrangements will be made for students taking NECO, WAEC and other exams.
The Coordinator of the Presidential Tasks Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr.
Sani Aliyu announced the directives on Monday during the National daily briefing in Abuja.Aliyu emphasized that the use of face masks remains mandatory, adding that in government and commercial premises, “no mask, no entry.
”He said: “For educational activities, all day cares and primary schools are to remain closed until further evaluation. Schools are encouraged to continue with e-learning and visual teaching but pupils may proceed to take the national common entrance as soon as is feasible, provided there is compliance with issued non-pharmaceutical interventions.
“For secondary and tertiary institutions, all schools remain closed till further evaluation. Arrangements are to be made for exiting graduating students in JSS3 and SS3 to resume at both boarding and day schools as soon as possible for intensive revision exercises.
“All educational establishments are to conduct exhaustive reviews to ensure compliance with the issued guidelines on COVID-19 before they open up for this purpose and just to clarify they will open up only for the purpose of exiting students.
“Arrangements are to be made for students taking part in the Natural Area Protection Tax Exemption Program (NAPTEP), Business and English Certification (BEC) exams, West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations, National Examinations Council (NECO) and sub-exams respectively.
All schools must comply with the six recommended steps and required measures to be issued by the Federal Ministry of Education before an institution is reopened in the timeline to be provided.”
Chairman of the Task Force on COVID-19 and Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, explained why some categories of schools had to be reopened.
He said: “It is not an easy decision but we are mindful of the fact that even prior to COVID-19, we have 15 million children out of school.
“So what do we do with those that are in school, do they constitute part of this now or do we do something. We measured the risk and see how best we can help the graduating ones. We are not talking about everybody going back to school, we are talking about the graduating classes, the primary six, if we don’t do something about them, they can’t proceed to secondary school. So, they would not lose a year.
“The same thing with JSS3, if you don’t do anything, because they can only qualify to move if they pass a certain examination. So, if you stop them, it means we would not have the prospect of people graduating.
“The same with SS3, there is a certain examination that qualifies you to go into the university, that is WAEC, in addition to JAMB or whatever qualifying examination that you have.
“WAEC is not under our exclusive control. The five Anglophone West African countries constitute WAEC. If other four are ready and we start the examination say in the month of August, Nigeria cannot isolate itself. It means that those that are to graduate to the universities next year would not be able to graduate.
“So, we say these classes that would be graduating, can we do something to accommodate them in such a way that they would just show up for the purposes of the examination.”
Funerals, weddings reduced to 20 people
The National Coordinator also said attendance of funerals and weddings have been reduced to 20 people including family members.
Aliyu said: “So I’ll be taking you through some of the changes, as the chairman said we are extending Phase 2 of the response with slight modifications.
“The PTF has identified certain areas of concern that require attention and which will undergo a further revision.
“These are particularly areas involved with international air travel, entertainment activities, educational sector, services and public and private sector services.
“The PTF in the past has stated that the aim of phase two was to sustain the gains from earlier steps and faces in terms of the pandemic control.
“It’s also important to state that we relaxed the response partly to enable additional sectors of the economy restart activities.
“In this regard we seek to consolidate the gains in the areas of the economy while trying to ensure better compliance with the health-based response.
“Specifically therefore, the following areas will be sustained and modified under the extended phase of the eased locked down as approved by Mr. President:
The current nationwide curfew would remain. We will maintain restrictions on mass gatherings and sporting activities.
“Domestic Aviation Services will recommence. Movement across state boundaries will be allowed but only outside curfew hours.
“Federal and state government offices will maintain their current timing with only essential staff allowed at the same level of grade level 14 and above resume work.
“The use of face masks remains mandatory and we will be enforcing this at all levels including linking up with state governments.
“Access to government and Commercial premises will not be allowed if you are not wearing a face mask, in other words no mask no entry, no mask no services will be provided in government premises and Commercial premises.”
The Coordinator also explained in details some of the areas that not much has changed.
He said: “So the curfew for instance remains at 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. nationwide. People are allowed to go out for work and to buy food and exercise as well as continue to move between local governments, especially in areas that are not high burden local governments, but we still strongly recommend avoiding unnecessary contact with people.
“For the aviation industry, the aviation industry is allowed to resume domestic operations as soon as practicable in line with existing international and local guidelines on covid-19.
“For Interstate travel, movement across state borders will be allowed only outside curfew times effective from the 1st of July to allow the industry to prepare over the next 24 hours.
“In particular, we expect the transport industry to adhere to the Federal Ministry of Transportation safety protocol and guidelines that will be released, specifically in relation to parks and terminals that will be restricted access with disinfection and sanitization. Waiting area for passengers must have social distance in measures, there has to be posters and notices on conduct of persons, temperature checks, if you are not wearing a mask, you will not be allowed entry into the parks and terminals.
“We also expect transporters to arrange for crowd control, buses should have a maximum of 50 percent capacity each bus trips.
“We strongly urge windows to be kept open particularly for short trips and face mask is mandatory.
“State governments through their commissioners of transport shall undertake inspection of facilities and confirm compliance as a precondition to resumption of interstate travel and non-compliance with the guidelines would result in withdrawal of permission to operate Interstate mass transit. The PTF expects this to be enforced at the state level.
“For Interstate travel, we will maintain the occupancy level for buses to 50 percent and two passengers for taxes, but we will restrict movement in high burden-local government areas to essential travel only. This will be part of the hotspot strategy that will be introduced.
“For industry and labour, they will maintain normal working hours based on the curfew arrangements apart from government offices that will have a separate working hour schedule and offices must maintain working at 75 percent capacity.
“For banks and financial institutions, they will operate normal working hours with no change. For government offices there is no specific change, working hours remain 9 a.m. To 2 p.m. from grade level 14 and above.
“But personalized services, mechanics, artisans, hair salons etc who own their workshops, workstations and can clearly adhere to non-pharmaceutical interventions will be permitted to operate as normal.
“For markets, there is no specific change to what we already have in Phase 2 and this will be driven by local authority arrangements.
“For hotels, restaurants and eateries there is no specific change. Hotels must observe all mandatory non-pharmaceutical interventions, restaurants to remain closed for eating with strict cleanliness guidelines except for restaurants that are serving Hotel residents.
“Bars, gyms, cinemas, event centers and nightclubs remain closed and this will be enforced.
For churches and mosques, no specific change phase 2 remains.
For recreational parks /communal Sports, restriction on communal Sports remains as well as the restriction on recreational parks until further evaluation.
For funerals and weddings no particular change, funerals and weddings to be limited to 20 people including close family members.
“In summary, the PTF has recommended to Mr. President and Mr. President has approved the extension of phase 2 of the response with minor modifications.
“We are requesting for full compliance by the general public. We have to get this right and this time around we really need to stop playing Russian roulette with our life because if we continue to expose ourselves to covid there’s no doubt that people will die.
The Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, therefore, called on all political, community and religious leaders to continue to support them to make sure that the communities are aware of the risks of the viral pandemic and improve the level of compliance.
Prof. Sadiya Sani-Daura, Director-General, National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna, says education is key to changing and transforming Nigeria in all ramifications.
Report says that she spoke on Wednesday in Kaduna while declaring open nationwide training workshops for 222 basic school teachers drawn from across Nigeria.
The five-day training is also focusing on E-learning, climate literacy and green life skills.
The training is taking place simultaneously in Kaduna and Lagos, with the participants drawn from the 26 states and FCT.
It has as its theme, ‘Digital Pedagogy, Remote Learning, E-Learning, Climate Literacy and Green Life Skills.’
The training was organised by the Institute in collaboration with the Universal Basic Commission (UBEC).
She said, “With the right attention given to the education sector, a lot of the negative narratives in Nigeria will change for the better.
” A lot of things went wrong hitherto because education was not getting the desired attention.
“With education getting the desired attention, everything will change, including combating criminality.
“It is however gladdening that the present administration of President Bola Tinubu is unwaveringly committed to redressing the obnoxious situation.”
The director-general further reiterated the unwavering commitment and dedication of the Institute to teacher training and development.
According to her, NTI will remain steadfast in making the Nigerian teachers globally competitive,hence helping to restore the lost global glory of the nation.
Sani-Daura, said they represent a milestone in the collective effort to advance teacher education and strengthen the foundations of basic education in the country.
She said that NTI, in collaboration with UBEC has consistently championed innovative strategies to equip the teachers with the skills and knowledge required to address the evolving demands of modern education.
Sani-Daura said, “Today’s workshops reflect this commitment, providing an avenue for professional development that aligns with global best practices and national priorities.
“The first focus area, which is digital pedagogy, remote teaching and e-learning, comes at a time when technology has become an integral part of the teaching and learning process.
“Teachers must be empowered with the tools and skills to harness the potential of digital platforms to enhance instruction, engage learners and foster critical thinking.
“This training is expected to bridge the gap between traditional teaching methods and the emerging trends in education technology as well as prepare the teachers to thrive in the digital age.”
On climate literacy and green life skills, the director-general decried that the world was grappling with the effects of climate change, saying, “our responsibility as educators goes beyond academics.
“Teachers play a critical role in shaping attitudes and behaviours that promote environmental sustainability.
In a welcome address, Dr Bature Salisu, Special Technical Assistant to the director-general, said that the collaboration between NTI and UBEC underscored the shared vision and partnership to advance teacher education.
He said, “This initiative is a testament to the NTI’s unwavering commitment in enhancing the professional capacity of teachers and addressing contemporary educational challenges.”
According to Salisu, the training reflects a collective resolve to equip teachers with innovative teaching methodologies and critical life skills to prepare students for the demands of the 21st century.
The acting Registrar of the Institute, Mrs Zainab Aliyu, described the theme as apt and timely.
She stressed that Nigerian teachers must not lag behind, urging them to be creative using technology.
The teachers attending the workshop at Kaduna were drawn from all the Northern states and FCT while the participants at the Lagos centre were drawn from all the Southern states. (NAN)
Some owners of private schools in the South-South region say they only charge school fees that are commensurate with the quality of service being offered.The private school owners made the expression during a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey in Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers.Mr Godwin Okwu, the Chairman, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, (NAPPS), Cross River chapter, said that the fees charged by private school in the state were not exorbitant.
Okwu further said that it was untrue that private schools employed unqualified teachers. “Whatever we charge as school fees is commensurate with the quality of service we provide.“Private schools may look expensive, this is because the government does not subsidise their services the way they do for public schools.“In some public schools, the government pays for everything including staff, and still collect fees from the students,” he said.He said it was wrong and unfair to compare the public school system to the private school system in terms of fees because public schools enjoyed the full support of government.“What we should consider is the quality of service and the product. It is not in doubt that the private school system is producing better results.“So it is unfair and contradictory to say that private schools employ substandard teachers, how then are we able to produce good results if our teachers are of low quality?” he said.The NAPPS chairman however said that private school owners were sometimes forced by economic realities to carry out minimal increase in fees.“Currently, the minimum wage for workers has increased, and private schools are expected to pay. How else do we raise the money to pay salaries?Okwu urged the state ministries of education to be more proactive and thorough in undertaking their inspectorate and monitoring functions.“As the regulator, the ministry should ensure uprightness. The interest of the children should be in the forefront,” he said.On his part, Mr Daniel Effiong, a Director of Inspection in Cross River Ministry of Education, said it was misleading to say that private schools employed low quality teachers.He said that the ministry had been resilient in monitoring the activities of private schools in the state.“We check the qualifications of the teachers, the environment, toilets among others before approval and upgrading.“This exercise is not just once, we do it regularly. Surely there are bad eggs in the system, we penalise them when they are uncovered,” he said.Also speaking on the issue, Mr Ubokmfon Williams, NAPPS Chairman in Akwa Ibom, said that private school owners in the state had not increased fees in a long time.Williams said that the economic situation in the country had made it difficult for private school owners to increase school fees.“With the way the economy is, any unnecessary increment in school fees may lead to massive withdrawal of students.“If you understand school business, if you truly want to remain in business, you have to avoid unnecessary increase in fees,” he said.The NAPPS chairman however said that sometimes, economic realities force private owners to increase fees in order to meet up.“Take salary as an example, if you don’t increase fees, how do you pay salaries of your workers. When you can’t pay salaries, your employees will go elsewhere.“As private school operators, we look critically at the interest of parents and the economic situation in the country before taking decisions.“We also want to remain in business, we are aware that the priority of every parent at the moment is food. We are very careful not to lose our market,” he said.Speaking on the reason private schools do not have uniform school fees, Williams said that criteria such as location and quality of service are considered by schools before fixing their fees.“Some schools pay for excursions, school bus, medicals, security, and some schools are located far away from town.“One thing is that no private school unilaterally fixes school fees, every private school liaises with its Parents Teacher Association before deciding what the fees will be,” he said.Speaking on the quality of services being offered by private schools, the NAPPS chairman, said that private schools did not treat the issue of teachers qualification with levity.“We hire not just good and professional teachers, we ensure that our teachers posses the skills to impart knowledge.“We are aware that a teacher may be a professional but may not skillful, so in the private school system, we are goal oriented,” he said.Mr Assam Abia, an Eket-based parent whose children are in private schools, said that more families took interest in sending their children and wards to private schools because the public school system failed at some point.“Parents are only seeing the fees charged by private schools as exorbitant because of the current economic challenges.“What I see is that school proprietors are responding to the basic economic law of demand and supply by increasing their fees,” he said.He said that the employment situation in the country had left many graduates without jobs, and that those who did not train to become teachers were now working as teachers.“Private schools are in business, they must make profits. The remedy lies in the monitoring agencies to do their jobs effectively.“The ministry or department that supervises private school should be more thorough and proactive, we want to see them in action,” he said.Abia also called for an overhaul of the education sector through legal and policy frameworks that would put the sector on the right track.“There is an urgent need for the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the education sector. Governments need to pay attention to the activities of private schools.In Rivers, a Legal Expert, Dr Hilda Desmond, blamed the fees being charged by private schools on the lack of supervision by regulatory authorities.Desmond, the Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ahoada Chapter, said that poor regulation and supervision of private schools had negatively affected primary and secondary school education in the state.“The education sector has been grossly bastardized particularly by private operators. Private operators exploit parents without making efforts to step up operational standards.“What we call exorbitant fee is purely class driven. Some elite see high school fees as a sign of quality, and prefer to enroll their children in such schools.“It is a matter of choice, here are still schools with qualified teachers, affordable school fees and appreciable learning environment,” she said.The lawyer expressed concerns that some schools greedily converted child minders to classroom teachers and pay meagre salaries.She said that it was an act of wickedness for school operators to use poor quality teachers at the nursery and primary school levels.“Once there is a faulty nursery and primary education, the entire learning process of the child becomes ruined. So we must strive to get it right from the first stage.”Sadly, most private schools are in business, rather than employ qualified teachers that should impart knowledge, they compromise examination standards,” she said.Mr Isijana Adasi, a Port Harcourt-based Education Consultant, said that all tiers of government had failed to provide the atmosphere for quality education to thrive.Adasi, also the Lead Advisor, Adasi Science Project, identified inadequate budgetary provisions for education as a major reason for the inefficiency in supervision and monitoring of the private school system in the country.“This is part of the reasons that education inspectors have become vulnerable, and are now compromising standards.”Most school inspectors visit high profile schools with the mindset of receiving money and other packages without being thorough about their duties.“So, until regulatory authorities become committed to their duty of enforcing standards, the average Nigerian child may not get the best education, it does not matter how much parents pay as fees.Mr Isaiah Uwa, a Bori-based parent, urged the Federal Government to take more stringent steps towards improving the quality of service being offered by private schools.“Part of the efforts should also be to monitor what they charge as school fees. Quality and standard should be the primary consideration.“Some private schools claim to adopt British or American curriculum instead of the government approved curriculum. This shouldn’t be allowed.“Some of these schools make their pupils to skip classes and some statutory examinations, this is a gross disservice to the society,” he said.(NAN
By David Torough, Abuja
Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Abuja, Professor Ukertor Gabriel Moti, has said Benue State’s economy remains a paradox of vast potential and persistent poverty.Speaking at the maiden reunion and award ceremony of Club De Pals held in Abuja, Prof.
Moti outlined key issues affecting the state’s economic performance and suggested pathways for growth. “Benue is rich in agricultural produce and natural resources, yet it struggles with poverty, unemployment, and weak fiscal performance,” he stated, adding that the state’s reliance on federal allocations was unsustainable. Moti added that the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stands at N4.27 trillion, ranking 12th in the country, but its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) averages just N1.59 billion per month, making Benue heavily dependent on Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds.“In 2022, Benue was the fourth most FAAC-dependent state in Nigeria, which is a dangerous position for poverty reduction efforts,” Prof. Moti said. He noted that 75% of the population is classified as dimensionally poor, with inadequate access to essential services such as health, education, and decent living conditions.Insecurity was identified as a major factor hindering economic development in the state, affecting agriculture and discouraging investments. “Insecurity has cast a long shadow over Benue, forcing the closure of markets like the Zaki Biam international yam market,” he remarked.Prof. Moti highlighted several strategies to rebuild the Benue economy, including prioritizing infrastructure development, creating favourable tax policies, and improving electricity supply through public-private partnerships.“The government must focus on agro-processing, industrialization, and creating a conducive environment for businesses. A strong partnership between the government, private sector, and civil society is essential for sustainable growth,” he said.He also urged civil society organizations like Club De Pals and local entrepreneurs to invest in small-scale ventures, noting that collective efforts were critical to achieving economic recovery.“Rebuilding the Benue economy requires deliberate and sustained action. It is a shared responsibility that must involve everyone,” Prof. Moti stated.
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