Lagos State opens all schools as from next Monday in what marks the end of the lockdown

LAGOS State government has announced that all public and private primary and secondary schools within its domain will open as from Monday October 19 in what ends the official end of the coronavirus lockdown.

Like most other nations, Nigeria introduced a total lockdown when the coronavirus pandemic struck, shutting all schools and institutions of higher learning. Over the last few months, however, there has been a gradual easing of the lockdown, with final years students allowed to return to school across Nigeria.

With the spread of the virus now somewhat under control across Nigeria, the Lagos State government has opted to allow all academic activities resume as normal. This physical resumption for the 2020/21 academic session now also includes pupils in pre-primary schools including daycare, kindergarten and nursery.

Across Lagos State, students in private schools from primary to secondary levels and those in junior secondary school three and senior secondary school three in public schools resumed academic activities about a month ago. Folasade Adefisayo, the Lagos State education commissioner, said the full resumption decision was taken after careful deliberations and consultations with relevant stakeholders including safety professionals and nursery school providers in the state.

She however advised those concerned to put the safety of their pupils and workers and visitors first by adhering to the Covid-19 guidelines and protocols. Mrs Adefisayo said the Office of Education Quality Assurance would continue to monitor and evaluate the preparedness of schools for reopening

Meanwhile, she asked private school owners and managers to get clearance from the quality assurance office before their physical resumption. Nigeria has been spared the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, with only 60,266 cases in total so far, of which there have only been 1,115 fatalities.

Lagos State, however, accounts for about a third of all cases with a total of 20,022 having contracted the virus. It also has the highest number of casualties in Nigeria with a total of 204 persons having succumbed to the virus.