Parents, guardians ensure your children adhere to COVID-19 protocols — Schools Administrators

Some schools administrators have charged parents and guardians to ensure their children and wards adhere strictly to the COVID-19 protocols while on vacation.

They gave the charge in an interview with newsmen on Thursday in Lagos.

The administrators said that though Nigeria was not among the worst hit nations, the virus was still spreading in the country.

Mrs Chinenye Azoma-Chikwe, the Principal, Radiance High School, Festac Town, said preventing the spread of the virus in schools came with challenges.

She said that they were able to overcome it through seminars, regular communication with parents and putting everything needed in place.

“The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) went around monitoring and certified schools even before Quality Assurance came for inspection.

“We followed all the guidelines religiously,” she said.

The principal commended parents for their donations of hand sanitisers and liquid soaps during the academic session.

Azoma-Chikwe urged parents and guardians to help the schools by ensuring that their wards continue to adhere to the COVID-19 prevention guidelines while on vacation.

“Let them wash their hands regularly. Let it be observed so when they return to school, they would have internalised it and be conscious of doing it without being told.

“We don’t entertain visitors in school. We also want parents to observe that at home. There are some homes that don’t even entertain visitors,” she said.

Mr Olorunfemi Amowe, the Head Teacher, St Jude’s Private Schools, Festac Town, said the school would take the collaboration and efforts of both government and the citizenry to check the spread of the virus.

He urged families to ensure that visitors they received, particularly those coming from abroad had been quarantined before coming to their homes.

Amowe also urged the government to enforce COVID-19 rules and regulations to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Nobody is above the directives and regulations of COVID-19, if we follow the regulations without defaulting, we will be able to ensure that the virus is out of our communities.

“What has been helping our schools is integrity, discipline and standing by our rules, irrespective of any individual.

“Schools should ensure that they place value on health above every other thing,’’ he said.