Abuja Schools Resume Monday

The Federal Capital Territory administration has announced that all schools in the territory are to re-open for the first term of the 2020/2021 academic session on Monday, October 12, 2020.

The Minister,  Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello who revealed this at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, also said boarding students are to resume on Sunday, October11.

Mallam Bello explained that the decision to reopen the schools was taken based on the directive from the Federal Ministry of Education that states should work out modalities for the safe re-opening of school. He added that after pain staking consultations with various stakeholder groups in the education sector including the FCT Parents Teachers Association, the Health and Human Services Secretariat of the FCTA, the Nigeria Union of Teachers,  National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Nigeria Union of Teachers amongst others the decision was made.

He enjoined parents, guardians and stakeholders to complement the Administrations’ efforts by further creating awareness and sensitizing their wards on the need to adhere strictly to health and safety measures as stipulated by the relevant health authorities.

While giving details on the guidelines regulating the re-opening of schools, the Chairman of the FCT School Resumption Committee Dr Fatima Abdulrahman said that on resumption on October,11 students will use the first week for revision and the second week to write the second term examinations which were suspended following the sudden closure of all schools at the onset of the pandemic.

Dr Abdulrahman continued that on conclusion of the examinations, the first term of the 2020/2021 session will be concluded on the 18th of  December. This essentially means that there will be no third term in the 2019/2020 academic session.

The other guidelines as released by the Education Secretariat are that all Public and Private schools in FCT should put in place adequate safety measures based on the Re-Opening of Schools guidelines which has been set.

The Committee on Reopening of Schools and the Department of Quality Assurance under the Education Secretariat will work together by undertaking regular evaluation of all Schools in FCT and embark on inspection and monitoring of schools to ensure strict compliance to the laid down health protocols of Covid-19.
Any School found wanting will face appropriate sanctions, including closure.

Main while Minister of State Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu and the Permanent Secretary of the FCTA, Mr Olusade Adesola flagged off the fumigation exercise of the schools at the Government Secondary School Garki and the Government Secondary School Jabi respectively.