There are three problems with reopening schools in Nigeria, where many dormitory rooms are as overcrowded as classrooms.
I argued last week why schools should not reopen until September 1, 2020. The basic reason is that the transmission of COVID-19 in various communities across the country is on the increase. Worse still, the outcome is at present so unpredictable that no permanent arrangements can be made about the immediate future, not least about reopening schools.
Even in advanced countries, such as the United Kingdom, which hurriedly reopened some primary schools, have had to recant. Many of Britain’s primary schools vowed not to reopen, while the discussion about reopening secondary schools have not even started. Second, parents, teachers, and students often come from different parts of the country to many of the nation’s schools, especially in the cities. With the confession of the PTF that Nigerians are refusing to show up for testing, who knows what many of them will bring to the schools, if they were reopened while the infections are spiking without an end in sight?
As for the universities, the idea of online learning is nothing more than self-deception on the part of government and many universities in the country, because neither the infrastructure nor the trained personnel is available in most public universities. Even in private universities, such as Elizade University, which boast of successful online classes during the ongoing pandemic, the percentage of students who are able to participate effectively ranges from 30 to 70 percent.
The critical question now is about those who have to take final exams, especially school-leaving and graduating exams. These are the ones I had in mind for a September reopening, and that only if it is possible. Schools could be open between September and December for such students to study for, and write, their exams, while the 2020/21 in-class academic session could begin in January 2021, with a modified school calendar of not more than 12 weeks per semester.
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