FG sensitises stakeholders on safe school reopening template

The Federal Government says it has begun the orientation of stakeholders in the education sector on School Reopening Readiness Template in the six political zones of the country.

The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, disclosed this on Monday in Kano during a one-day zonal stakeholders meeting to review the guidelines and protocols for the schools reopening.

Nwajuba said the ministry had developed a School Reopening Readiness Template to fast track an integrated approach to safe school reopening, hence, the need to desiminate the template in the zones.

According to him, the template requires the full engagement of stakeholders to facilitate successful implementation of the guidelines.

Nwajiuba added that the meeting would enable the government to generate input from the stakeholders ahead of the reopening of schools.

He noted that the Federal Government was working towards ensuring safe reopening of schools as well as to support state government in this regard.

The minister: “We all know that great accomplishments are made based on synergy, it is on this premise that we are all here to deliberate and adopt the template for the safe reopening of schools and learning facilities.

“The template has some key roles and shared responsibilities to be played by the stakeholders at national, states, local government and the school levels,” he said.

Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje said that the state government had conducted fumigation exercise and provided Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) to the schools in the state.

Ganduje, represented by his deputy, Nasiru Gawuna, said the measure was part of efforts to encourage compliance with the COVID-19 safety protocols to ensure protection of students and teachers as well as stem further spread of the pandemic.

He added that: “The state government recently released the sum of N880 million for the renovation of schools in the state.”

Also speaking, Sunusi Kiru, the state’s Commissioner for Education, said that the state government also approved N4.66 billion for feeding programme in boarding schools after reviewed of the of the allowances.

On his part, Danlami Hayo, the Chairman, Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), disclosed that the state government had earmarked over N70 million for procurement of PPE and training of teachers in the state.