COVID-19: stakeholders urge govt not to allow second wave reverse gains in education

The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in Oyo state has urged government not to allow the second wave of the COVID-19 to reverse the little gains made with the re-opening of schools.

The association’s President, Mr Kayode Adeyemi, gave the advice in an interview with the Newsmen on Tuesday, in Ibadan.

According to him, the second wave of the COVID -19 pandemic, arose due to non-adherence with the containment protocols by the larger society and not necessarily only in the school environment.

“In the school environment, the COVID-19 protocols were fully enforced and thoroughly monitored. This gave rise to the success recorded throughout last term, with no record of the infection in any of our schools.

“Hence we do not need to entertain any anxiety or fear, with regards to resumption of schools in the face of the second wave of the disease.

“Those agitating should focus on sectors where the containment protocols are not strictly adhered to, especially in market places and leave schools alone,” Adeyemi said.

He added that the education sector had yet to come out of the negative impact of the previous lockdown, from the outbreak and spread of the disease in the country.

Adeyemi further noted that the goal now should be an immediate resumption of schools from the festive holiday, under strict observance of the already established protocols.

“Any decision contrary to this will spell doom for the education of our children and reverse the little gain made with the re-opening of schools after the first wave,” he stated.

Also speaking, Prof. Clement Kolawole, Chairman, School Governing Board, Estate High School, Akobo, Ibadan, said with the onset of the second wave of the pandemic globally, ” it should not be allowed to knock out everything and everybody”.

“This includes the education system, the way the first wave of the disease did. There are vaccines now that are being taken, to stem its tide and the world already knows what to do, to avoid it.

“It is my wish that we in the education sector must ensure that adequate arrangements are put in place to comply with all the protocols.

“Doing that will help us to make progress in the education sector. I wish all of us in the sector a very successful resumption for the second term. I also wish all students in tertiary institutions the best,” Kolawole said.

Prof. Adams Onuka, an expert  in Education Evaluation,  University of Ibadan, said it would be better to accept the fact that COVID-19 is real, rather than getting involved in any controversy over its existence or not.

“I wouldn’t think the whole world will like to live in self-deception concerning the pandemic. However, nothing will be lost if we assume it is real and do all we can to curtail its spread.

“Having said that it is incumbent on governments at the various tiers to, in conjunction with the populace, ensure that schools are not shut down any further, but enforce compliance with the non-pharmaceutical protocols, to assure safety of the teachers and learners.

“Schools should also provide teachers with required tools to facilitate teaching and learning, with moderate contact, in order to curtail person-to-person transmission.

“I have one problem with our populace, we tend to resign everything to the government but the government can only provide policy direction on the way to go, yet we failed to do our part by observing necessary protocols for our own safety,” he said.

Onuka then called on the populace to join hands with government and do the needful by observing the safety protocols, to prevent further spread of the disease.

“For instance, I learnt that some people were revolting because the Oyo State Government put carnivals on hold, to safeguard our health, so where did the government go wrong in this, to warrant destruction of properties.

“Therefore, while encouraging the government not to close schools anymore, we must appeal to ourselves to obey the government and observe the necessary protocols. Let us provide the necessary preventive equipment for our wards too,” Onuka said