The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has commended management of private and public schools in Abuja, over the high level of compliance with established COVID-19 safety protocols in their respective institutions.
Malam Leramoh Abdulrazaq, Acting Secretary and Director of Administration and Finance, FCTA Education Secretariat, made the commendation on Tuesday, during an inspection of schools in Abuja, which reopened for a new academic session.
Abdulrazaq, who led a high-powered team on inspection tour to four junior and senior secondary schools within the FCT, expressed satisfaction with the students’ and teachers’ level of awareness and adherence to COVID-19 protocols.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that at the Junior Secondary School, Area 11, Garki, the first point of call, it was observed that only 50 per cent of students with facemasks were allowed into classrooms for lessons, in compliance with physical distancing.
Other schools visited were: Government Senior Secondary School and Junior Secondary School, Festival Road, Area 10, Government Science Technical College (GSTC), Area 3, and Regina Pacis College, a Catholic private school, all located in Garki II.
They were all found to be adhering strictly to wearing of facemasks and temperature checks.
Abdulrazaq said: “We are happy and satisfied with what we have seen so far.
“We have visited a number of public schools, and we have also visited private schools.
“From what we have seen and the interaction we had with the students and teachers, we are satisfied that they have adequate knowledge about COVID-19 and its safety protocols.
“And there is high level of compliance in the wearing of nose masks and the awareness that they have to properly and regularly wash their hands, and maintain social distancing protocols.
“It could also be seen in the sitting arrangement in the classrooms, where the population of students per class is reduced in some cases to less than half of the normal class size, in order to maintain social distance protocol.”
He disclosed that the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Quality Assurance Unit, also moved around to ensure that schools were compliant.
He added that in highly populated schools, the secretariat introduced shift system, where half of the class would come in the morning and the other half in the afternoon.
“So all these are in place to ensure compliance. However, anywhere we observe gaps in the system, we call the attention of the school administration to such gaps.”
According to Abdulrazaq, the secretariat constantly monitors the schools to ensure that they adhere to instructions given to them.
“And where we observe any breach, there will be sanctions for such non compliance,” he stressed.
On his part, Mr James Kuta, the Principal Government Secondary Technical College (GSTC), Area 3, Garki II, appreciated the FCTA Education Secretariat and Department of Science and Technology, for the assistance they had been rendering to management of the school.
“The secretariat gave us sanitisers, nose masks, and all the support that we need was given to us by the authorities.
“What we keep doing everyday is letting everyone know that COVID-19 is real, so we enforce the use of facemasks and hand washing, to the extent that we produced a machine that will assist in promoting the practice.”
Kuta, however, said though there were challenges with the new system of running schools, such issues were being addressed by the authorities promptly as they emerged. (NAN)
