Update: FG speaks up on reopening of schools for graduating students amid COVID-19

The Federal government of Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari finally opened up on issues of reopening of schools for only graduating students amid COVID-19.

The government through the presidential Task Force on COVID-19, on Wednesday, stressed that the West Africa Examination Council, WAEC, timetable is not determined by Nigeria.

The PTF Coordinator, Dr. Sani Aliyu, made this known while speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

Aliyu explained further that the Federal Government will not want a spill-over in the nation’s academic calendar which will end up affecting graduating students.

He added that this is the main reason schools will be reopened nationwide for graduating students with immediate effect.

His word, “We already have a large number of students that are in their exit year and they really need to move on.

“We have exams that are not specific only to Nigeria but in West Africa, WAEC for instance. So, we need to find a way to safely get these students to do their exams and exit, otherwise we will have a serious spill-over when it comes to education.

“COVID19 will go away eventually even though we don’t know when but It may take a year or longer, and what we don’t want is for it to have such a significant impact on our educational program where children are unable to move at home where there is no mobility.”

On the other hand, the president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Abiodun Ogunyemi, had kicked against the federal government’s action of reopening of schools in the midst of the ongoing disease, COVID-19.