Ebola: FG orders schools to resume Oct 13

The Federal Government on Tuesday ordered that all primary and secondary schools in the country should resume on October 13, 2014 because of the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

The Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, announced the new resumption date after a marathon meeting with all the 36 state Commissioners of Education in Abuja on Tuesday evening.

Shekarau, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said all private schools in the country should also comply with the directive. He added that schools should suspend their summer programmes with immediate effect.

According to him, each of the private and public schools will be required to train at least two desk officers in collaboration with ministry of health officials on how to handle Ebola.

He said, “All state Commissioners of Education and I met this day 26th August, 2014 to discuss issues related to the reopening of schools for the new academic year (2014/2015) vis-à-vis the Ebola epidemic issue.

“The meeting was also attended by senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Health. At the end of the meeting, the following decisions were arrived at as preventive measures to ensure the safety and well-being of all students in our schools throughout the Federation.

“All Primary and Secondary schools, both Public and Private are to remain closed until Monday 13th October, 2014 which is the new school resumption date for all schools throughout the Federation.

“This is to ensure that adequate preventive measures are put in place before the students report back to school. All State Ministries of Education are to immediately organize and ensure that at least two (2) staff in each school, both Public and Private, are trained by appropriate health workers on how to handle any suspected case of Ebola and also embark on immediate sensitization of all Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff in all schools on preventive measures. This training of staff must be concluded not later than 15th September, 2014.”

-Punch