Lockdown: Private School Owners, Teachers Seek FG Assistance

Lockdown: Private School Owners, Teachers Seek FG Assistance

Private school owners in the country have called on the federal government for assistance to cushion the economic effects of the lockdown.

All schools across the country have been shut down since March, 2020, following the lockdown directive imposed by the Federal Government to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.

But to private school owners, their teachers are facing serious challenges in terms of survival during this critical period. They, therefore called on the federal government for assistance.

An Educationist Abdul-Ganiyy, Raji who spoke on behalf of the private school owners, said it was high time government at all levels extended financial support to private schools, to mitigate the effect of the lockdown.

“It would be callous of the Government to wait for owners and teachers of private schools to start dying of starvation before it comes to their aid, something should be done now,” he said.

He said the nation could not afford to sustain “this prejudicial culture of silence over the huge impact of this lockdown on the livelihoods of school owners and private school teachers.”

“We cannot afford to keep ignoring the welfare of private schools. We must remember that private schools survive primarily on earnings from their customers.

“We all know that schools have not collected third term fees from their customers. We are aware that all the sources of income of private schools have been blocked by the current lockdown. The Government should please do something about private schools,” he added.

“No right-thinking Nigerian will criticize the Government for the current closure of schools in the country.

“We cannot afford to endanger the lives of our children or the lives of their teachers and other individuals who work in schools.

“However, while this lockdown lasts, is anybody talking about how school owners are coping with the salaries of their workforce at this difficult time?

“Is anybody discussing how school owners themselves are surviving and helping their family members survive during this lockdown?

“In Lagos where I live, schools were shut down as far back as March. As I write this article, we are almost at the end of May. Are we aware that some school owners have not paid March and April salaries,” he concluded.