The Federal Government of Nigeria has said it does not have the confidence yet to proceed with the re-opening of schools in view of the increasing number of COVID-19 infections as released by the National Centre for Disease Control.
The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking with journalists, after the eighth virtual Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Nwajiuba said the decision of the Federal Ministry of Education to pause schools’ resumption plans and postpone participation in final examinations for secondary school students remained intact.
The minister, who said the ministry was still consulting with stakeholders, added that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) had also started consultations with West African states on a possibility of shifting dates.
He said: “We are still meeting with parents over the decision of the Ministry.
“What the Minister said reflects the true position of the Ministry; we are not confident yet that everywhere is safe, the numbers from the NCDC are still alarming and we have put this before parents and all the stakeholders in the Education ecosystem, we are still meeting with them.
“In fact, there’s a stakeholders’ meeting convened for Monday.
“WAEC on its own part is also negotiating with other West African countries to look at possible shift in date.
“Once they are through with that meeting and hopefully when we are through with the consultation with stakeholders, if there’s any change in the Ministry’s position, we will communicate, but as it stands, the position of the Honourable Minister, as communicated to you last week, remains the position of the Ministry until further evidence to the contrary or further agreements that may alter those arise,” Nwajiuba said.
Recall that last week, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said Nigerian schools would remain shut and secondary final year students would not write the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) until the Ministry considered it safe for such to happen.
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