Baring any unforseen circumstance, secondary schools in the country would reopen as from August 4 for exit classes only (students in Senior Secondary 3).
Students would have two weeks within which to prepare for the forthcoming West African Examinations (WAEC) due to start on August 17.
These were some of the decisions unanimously agreed on Monday during a virtual consultative meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education, commissioners of education of the 36 states, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT), the proprietors of private schools, and chief executive officers of examination bodies.
The meeting agreed that “the exit classes should resume immediately after the Sallah break, from the 4th of August, 2020 to enable them prepare for the WAEC examinations scheduled to commence from the 17th of August, 2020,” said a statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Bem Goong.
The meeting also resolved that a passionate appeal be made to the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and public spirited Nigerians for assistance to schools across the country to enable them fast track preparations for a safe reopening, as agreed.
The statement added that another meeting would be convened tomorrow, Tuesday, between the Federal Ministry of Education and chief executive officers of examination bodies namely, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS to harmonise their examination dates, noting that decisions reached at the meeting would be expeditiously conveyed to stakeholders by the Federal Ministry of Education.
Idowu Sowunmi
