Ebola: FG orders schools to resume Oct 13

The Federal
Government on
Tuesday ordered that
all primary and
secondary schools in
the country should
resume on October 13,
2014 because of the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in
the country.
The Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, announced the
new resumption date after a marathon meeting with all the
36 state Commissioners of Education in Abuja on Tuesday
evening.
Shekarau, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said all
private schools in the country should also comply with the
directive.
He added that schools should suspend their summer
programmes with immediate effect.
According to him, each of the private and public schools will
be required to train at least two desk officers in
collaboration with ministry of health officials on how to
handle Ebola.
He said, “All state Commissioners of Education and I met
this day 26th August, 2014 to discuss issues related to the
reopening of schools for the new academic year (2014/2015)
vis-à-vis the Ebola epidemic issue.
“The meeting was also attended by senior officials of the
Federal Ministry of Health. At the end of the meeting, the
following decisions were arrived at as preventive measures
to ensure the safety and well-being of all students in our
schools throughout the Federation.
“All Primary and Secondary schools, both Public and Private
are to remain closed until Monday 13th October, 2014 which
is the new school resumption date for all schools throughout
the Federation.
“This is to ensure that adequate preventive measures are
put in place before the students report back to school. All
State Ministries of Education are to immediately organize
and ensure that at least two (2) staff in each school, both
Public and Private, are trained by appropriate health
workers on how to handle any suspected case of Ebola and
also embark on immediate sensitization of all Teaching and
Non-Teaching Staff in all schools on preventive measures.
This training of staff must be concluded not later than 15th
September, 2014.”