Imo State is on the verge of re-opening schools in the State, as the state government says it has put in place preliminary measures to ensure that candidates who registered for the 2020 Senior School Certificate Examination, WAEC, sit for the forthcoming WAEC exams.
A statement by the Public Relations Officer, PRO of the Ministry,Unadike William quoted the State Commissioner for Education, Prof Bernard Ikegwuoha, to have said that schools in the state will commence classes exclusively for Senior Secondary School students who will writing their exams.
He stated that some measures will be taken by the state government for strict compliance by the schools and parents in order to forestall the spread of coronavirus, while students are in school.
Some of the measures include:
*Every school as a matter of urgency should resuscitate Parents Teachers Association (PTA) to ensure that NCDC protocols against COVID-19 are driven by both Parents and Teachers.
*Parents will take responsibility for their children/wards protection with specificity to the provision of Face Masks for their children and themselves. Indeed, parents will ensure that the bring their children/wards to school and equally take them home after school and examination each day.
*Students must wear face masks, maintain social distance, avoid handshake/hugging and wash or sanitise their hands regularly.
The Education Commissioner said the Ministry will collaborate with the Secondary School Management Board, SEMB, to ensure that all public schools are fumigated and the environment, which the Ministry will oversee, including compliance to the World Health Organization, WHO, and Nigerian Centre For Disease Control, NCDC and Covid 19 Task Force.
The Commissioner said other exam classes (primary 6 and JSS 3), will be engaged in the e- learning programme, as government is working in concert with telecom companies to provide internet services as a reduced cost to relive students the burden of data.
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