Many parents in Nigeria appear to be in a dilemma at the moment. They are caught in-between the desire to see their children go back to school as soon as possible and the fear of the children contracting the dreaded coronavirus (Covid-19), which was the reason for shutting down schools across the country since the month of April. Some of the parents who spoke with BDSUNDAY said
Though, the parents expressed concern that this year’s academic calendar may have been altered, which by implication, would prolong the children’s stay in school when schools eventually reopen, they also expressed fear that rushing to reopen schools may lead to trading the lives of their children for knowledge acquisition.
BDSUNDAY findings show that one of their major fears is the ability of schools to abide by the protocols stipulated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and most importantly, the ability of pupils to restrain themselves from mingling dangerously with one another.
But Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River State, believes that Nigeria could be waiting for eternity, advising that schools should reopen as the coronavirus may have come to stay. He said that what was needed to be done was to fashion out ways of living with the pandemic.
A mother, who simply introduced herself as Kate, a banker, said: “The major concern I have, which I think is the same fear many parents nurse, is how to get the children to observe what has become a sort of stereotype- don’t touch your face, your nose; don’t touch another person, maintain a distance and wash your hands regularly. Even if schools provide all the necessary things expected of them, enforcing compliance may be a little bit difficult.”
According to Kate, “I read a report a few days ago that despite all the warnings and instructions on the protocol to adopt by worshippers, some of the people were so excited on seeing their brethren that they began to hug one another and shaking hands. If it is so with adults, I cannot be sure that the children will be controlled if they should be told to go back to school today. The coronavirus is real; make no mistake about it. So, what would it profit a parent to endanger the life of a child or by implication a whole family by clamouring for school reopening? I think, for me, life is first.”
Margret Uponi, another parent and CEO of Maribet Consult Limited, told our correspondent that “Children are highly asymptomatic and could contract COVID-19 from even teachers that use public transport. The children that get infected in school may then expose their parents and other children that are highly vulnerable.”
Uponi said that it is still very unsafe to expose children either in public or private school, adding that both government and school owners need to be deliberate in the process of reopening school.
According to her, “There is really no hurry for now. The older ones in terminal classes specifically can be engaged online to complete the session and write their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) examinations digitally from all over the world. The students in higher institutions can also be engaged virtually as well. Unfortunately, our public Universities are on strike as we speak.”
She however, noted that for Nigerian Private Universities that understand how to apply the effective use of Learning Management System, the period of school closure can afford them the opportunity to extend an online teaching to their students at an affordable fee.
“This is also the time that Open University was supposed to be functional. Unfortunately or fortunately, COVID-19 has helped us to reveal our very many inadequacies. Only few of our universities are ready, a few private schools are doing their best as they see that necessity is the mother of invention,” she said.
Uponi was quick to add that if the schools were to resume today, she would not send her children back to school; a view she believed to have been shared by many of her friends. “COVID-19 is real and it’s ravaging anyhow. We need to take personal responsibility. Better be safe than be sorry.”
Niyi Akinnaso, a concerned public analyst in an article titled, ‘How schools may reopen gradually’, opines that “Knowing what we know today about the behaviour of the COVID-19; the incredulity of many Nigerians about the virus; and the non-compliance of most Nigerians with the World Health Organisation (WHO)-supported mitigation measures established by the NCDC, it will be foolhardy to think of reopening schools earlier than September. Neither the science nor the data of COVID-19 in Nigeria today leads us to think of reopening schools soon.”
Akinnaso reiterated the fear of many parents over school resumption as many schools lack the infrastructure for maintaining physical distancing and washing hands with soap regularly.
According to him, “Parents, teachers, and students often come from different parts of the country to many of the nation’s schools, especially in the cities. With the confession of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 that Nigerians are refusing to show up for testing, who knows what many of them will bring to the schools, if they were reopened while the infections are spiking without an end in sight?”
“As for the universities, the idea of online learning is nothing more than self-deception on the part of government and many universities in the country, because neither the infrastructure nor the trained personnel is available in most public universities. Even in private universities, such as Elizade University, which boast of successful online classes during the ongoing pandemic, the percentage of students who are able to participate effectively ranges from 30 to 70 percent,” Akinnaso said.
The fears expressed by parents concerning school resumption is not however, lost on some school owners, who believed that though private schools may be ready for resumption, that cannot be said of public schools.
A school proprietor, who spoke to BDSUNDAY on condition of anonymity, said in preparation for school resumption in July or any time, she had already ordered electronic sanitising machine, washing bucket with tap, soaps, temperature reading machine and have equally advised parents on their own part to be safety cautions prior to resumption.
“We will fumigate the school premises. As long as we keep personal hygiene as we should. Feed kids with healthy food. I am 100 percent sure all we go well. We will stagger their play time,” she said.
She however, observed that the elite parents are not comfortable sending their kids to school now. Their kids are not affected by this pandemic like the average low income parents. Their online learning is 100 percent going on, because they can afford whatever it takes.
“It’s tough though, but that’s where we are now. Even till September, the number of Covid-19 cases is unlikely to reduce. We might as well move on with precautionary measures until maybe vaccine will show up hopefully,” she said.
Yomi Awelewa, a lecturer with the University of Lagos and father of two children, hopes that when all measures are put in place, he can then allow his children resume.
He pointed out that since the Federal Government plans a phased opening of school, it will help ensure that the process is gradual and not too cumbersome for schools.
He further noted that children’s academic future should not entirely be put on hold because of the pandemic, “July 13 is a tentative date for resumption. So, let wait and see what will happen,” he said.
Ben Ayade, Cross River State governor, however, strongly believes that it is wise for the kids to go back to school with their nose masks and face shields.
The governor, who advised the Federal Government to reopen schools, spoke while unveiling a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) production plant in the state. According to him, Cross River State has strong commitment that children would not continue to stay at home because “the more they stay at home, the more the moral decadence; the more the indiscipline and the more they become very lazy to go back to school and get started.”
“Obviously, the coronavirus has come to stay with us and the reality is that countries that had to resume schools have had to contain with rising cases of the virus. How long are we going to wait as a country? Perhaps, we have to adopt a new lifestyle that would integrate COVID-19 as part of our lifestyle,” Ayade said.
According to him, “At every stage in life, there is a time when you have to be in class and when children miss that delicate phase, it becomes very dangerous. I think it is wise for the kids to go back to school with their nose mask and face shield. When you get to school, you drop the mask and wear the shield only to class to allow you for more ventilation and better breathing.”
“I think Cross River State would want to see that the school starts for sure. Because we care, and we would want to support our public schools with free provisions of PPEs, which is limited only to nose mask and face shield. The state is investing in mass production of face shield and nose mask because it has become obvious that PPE has become more critical. Without the PEEs, our health workers would be at risk. Therefore, there is need for the production of PPEs. This would be the first and major shield production here in Nigeria and I think that the Federal Government would be encouraged to resume schools,” the governor added.
