The Federal Government has made a U-turn on it’s stand towards the reopening of schools in the country.
It has now accepted that Secondary schools in the country can reopen on August 4, 2020, for pupils in exit classes to sit for their examination.
The resumption date, is just two weeks away from the commencement of the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, organized by the West Africa Examination Council, WAEC.
WAEC had earlier announced that the exams will commence on the 17th of August, 2020.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government had earlier said unity schools will not reopen across the country and will not sit for the WAEC examinations following fears over the rampaging Covid-19 disease.
The government announced the decision at the end of a virtual consultative meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education, Commissioners of Education of the 36 states, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT), the proprietors of private schools, and Chief Executives of examination bodies.
A statement by Mr. Ben Goong, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, said “stakeholders at the meeting agreed that the exit classes should resume immediately after the Sallah break, from the 4th of August, 2020 to enable them to prepare for the WAEC examinations scheduled to commence from the 17th of August, 2020.
“The meeting also resolved that a passionate appeal be made to the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and public-spirited Nigerians for assistance to schools across the country to enable them fast track the preparations of safe reopening, as agreed.
“Another meeting is to be convened tomorrow between the Federal Ministry of Education and Chief Executives of examination bodies namely, NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS to harmonize their examination dates, which will be conveyed to stakeholders expeditiously by the Federal Ministry of Education.”
