School Resumption: LASG Tours Public, Private Schools to Monitor Compliance

The Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, has visited some schools in the state.

While disclosing this on Monday January 18, 2021, the commissioner stated that the inspection exercise was aimed at ensuring that administrators, teachers and students comply with the Covid-19 protocols upon resumption for the Second Term Y2020/2021 academic session.

The commissioner led a monitoring team to assess how the students were received, and to ensure that COVID-19 protocols were strictly adhered to in order to curb the spread of the disease.

Mrs. Adefisayo expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance by the schools. She added that the state government is very concerned about the safety of students and their teachers.

She said that the wellbeing of students, teachers necessitated the unscheduled visit to the schools.

She added that it would help to determine how learning and teaching is being managed amidst the pandemic.

The commissioner at one of the schools visited

The commissioner stated that some students were already roaming the streets and gradually losing interest in learning.

Adefisayo stressed that the reopening of schools has been a very difficult decision amidst the COVID-19 pandemic as most vulnerable children are really going through a tough time.

“Many have already been put to work, doing jobs like mechanic, bus conductor, hawking on the streets, thereby exposing themselves to societal ills rather than being in schools which is a safer environment,” she noted.

She maintained that the “No face mask, No entry” slogan should be enforced in every school. She added that the usual morning assembly and sporting activities have been suspended until further notice.

“The Office of Education Quality Assurance will always visit schools to ensure full adherence to the COVID-19 guidelines,” she said.

Also speaking during the exercise, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Abosede Adelaja, appreciated the resilience and steadfastness of the teachers during this trying period and urged them to monitor their health, while taking up the role of enforcement and compliance with the COVID-19 protocols by students.

Mrs. Adelaja advised the school administrators to regularly monitor their teachers and students closely, stressing that the state government has invested enormously in the education sector.

She opined that parents/guardians are also saddled with the responsibility of monitoring the children/wards closely as their roles are germane and complimentary at this period, saying

“All hands must be on deck to curb the spread of the pandemic. The government will not relent in its efforts to fight the virus and subdue it to the barest minimum,” she said.

The Permanent Secretary revealed that free face masks have been provided for all students, in addition to a clean and conducive environment to learning.

“The government has also installed facilities such as wash hand basins and potable water in all public schools,” She concluded.