The Federal Government’s decision to reopen school on August 4 for exit classes has received commendation from stakeholders in the education sector.
In a separate interview with newsmen in Ibadan, some major stakeholders commended Government’s plan to reopen school for exit students to prepare participate in WASCE.
The Presiden, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Oyo State (NAPPS), Kayode Adeyemi, said the decision was a welcome development given the prevailing circumstances.
Adeyemi said with the level of learning loss occasioned by the lockdown was good decision, adding that children would not be too backward because of the holiday.
“I still remain cautious about the release though it’s from a stakeholders’ forum. I just hope that the ministry of education will not come up to say that they are not prepared again.
“This is a kind situation whereby the private sector is fully prepared to engage the students to do well in the exam and the public sector should be prepared to make the children to learn and do well in life as well.
“We will keep observing and we trust God that with the few weeks given we will be able to brush up the students to perform excellently in the exam and the year would not have been lost for the children,” He said.
In his own reaction, Prof. Oyesoji Aremu, of the Department of Guidance and Counselling, University of Ibadan,applauded the decision reached at the consultative meeting, noting it was a good one.
“And also, very relieving to many parents, students in the certificate classes and other stakeholders.
“The decision would also enable the exit classes, especially for students in Senior Secondary 3 to be able to take and conclude their secondary education with a view to entering higher institutions of learning.
“The reason being that, although some of them might have sat for GCE, the results from the examinations may not be too good enough to guarantee admission into the next level of their career in education,” he said.
Aremu added that for students who have had to stay away from school due to the COVID -19 Pandemic, this would be a sort of psychological comfort to the affected students.
“One other good thing about the outcome of the meeting is that it makes the Federal and State Government to be on the same page in spite of the fact that education is concurrently legislated in Nigeria.
“This is a good development, he noted.
The Professor, hinted that the success that will be recorded of the examination with exit classes, would pave the way for other classes to resume studies.
In his own submission, Chairman of School Governing Board, Estate High School and an education enthusiast, Prof. Clement Kolawole, said this was a further confirmation of the fact that the government was in a position to modify its decision from time to time based on the facts available to it.
“This latest development shows that the government, after meeting with stakeholders, is aware that it can manage the process in a way that COVID-19 will not ground the education system completely.
“I would like to commend the government for its positive response to the development and advise that it should put measures in place to nonitor what goes on.
“That will help the government to put measures in place to protect both teachers and students when school resume.
“We have to creatively devise means of coping with the pandemic and living beyond it,” Kolawole stressed.
Recall that, after a virtual consultative meeting with stakeholders on Monday, the Federal Ministry of Education in a release signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, said that schools will be reopen for students in exit classes on August 4, which would give them a two week period to prepare for the WASSCE that is scheduled to begin on August 17.
