It’s three months since the federal government ordered the closure of schools around the country to stem the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, which is currently proving to be a big measure of concern that’s looking to affect the future of Nigerian students.
When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the noble coronavirus as pandemic, many countries have embarked upon social distancing by restricting social gatherings, ordering the citizens to stay at home, closure of hinterland borders, and many measures suggested by WHO to help contain the spread of the deadly virus.
Indifferent with other, our Nigerian government have also joined the que by enforcing a 24 hours lockdown, binding upon the most affected states. Schools being a scheduled entities getting affected undesirably. Students, as the profiteers alike.
It’s by looking into this major concern that it should be very imperative for government at various levels to reopen schools, because the way our educational system is getting slowed down, annihilating the plans and frustrating the learning potentials of the gargantuan population of students – which are annually getting skyrocketed, nobody can predict what the future holds for the younger generations and their older ones alike.
To highlight another point of concern, our cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria is relatively not that frightening.
As the NCDC recently announced that 95% to 98% of the patients will recover.
Also, the good news is that some states have discharges all their patients, Gombe, Kebbi and Taraba as a relevant instance.
On top of the fact that people are now allowed to go to markets, churches, mosques and other public places, in Kano and other mentioned states, though by maintaining strict social distancing, it also adds to the reason that there’s no need for shutting down of the schools.
It’s of paramount importance for government at both local, state and federal levels to overcome fear and provide lasting solutions. Even though doing so may frighten some people.
But, the fact is that reopening school amidst of this COVID-19 pandemic might help the students cover up some vital academic processes, with the help of strict measures probably to be provided by the government.
Days have gone and weeks have passed since the confirmation of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria.
We should be very pertinent as to ask our governments why they don’t want to reopen the schools. There’s urgent need for government to fix date for reopening schools.
There have been measures that will help the students and lectures not to get infected with the virus while studying in the university and other institutions of learning, such as using facemasks, washing hands and maintaining social distancing.
The number of new cases of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria is daily increasing, though at controllable rate.
The people of Nigeria are carefully adhering to the measures been provided by the Health sectors.
So, the Government can introduce more of it measures and made wearing of facemasks compulsory, maintaining social distance, looking after personal hygiene, initiate school task force to fight the separate of the disease, quick alarming of government agencies while suspecting anybody with a symptoms of the disease and pasting advises on how to curb the pandemic separation.
It is quite alarming at the rate of which students now spend time doing nothing instead of studying because of how the lockdown affect the students directly.
Its really sad to find out that before the closure of schools this students were mostly either preparing for a major examination like the SSCE or some are even in the middle of writing exams in the higher institutions.
So it disrupted greatly the chain of learning.
It won’t be a surprise when one finds out that many students will do badly when the school reopens due to the long time they have stayed without studying.
That’s why we call on the government and health bodies to try and find solutions to this problem especially now that its obvious that the pandemic is here to stay, for a while, much longer than we expected.
Comment:What a magnificent sublime BrO., as a young and admiring journalist this means much more than a lot to whole Nigerian students. More, more and more grease to your elbow, ink to your pen and wisdom to your heart. This is really awesome & splendid, thumbs up BrO. and keep it up!.