As the number of schools reopening is on the increase, the need to prepare for possible resumption arises. How should you prepare for school reopening? What equipment and safety tools do you need as you prepare to resume? All these and much more are contained in this article.
Also See: What You Should Know About Schools Reopening
Indeed, the coronavirus pandemic, lockdown, and closure of schools would remain in our memories for a very long time because of its effect most especially in the educational sector – the distortion of academic calendars and extension of the duration of programmes is being felt by all students and even academic staff.
The lockdown and schools closure caused by the pandemic which started in the month of March has halted all academic activities till now, but the end is almost here, as the number of infected people is drastically reducing, the curve created by the virus is flattening, and social and economic activities are coming back in play, especially schools.
Despite the industrial action of the Academic Staff Union (ASUU), threats of strike action from the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) and even other unions, reopening of schools is now more certain as the Federal Government is now putting in more efforts to end the various strike actions and to avoid the upcoming ones.
Also See: School Reopening Amid Strike Actions: The Fate of Nigerian Students
Judging from the homepage of this site, you could see a good number of schools have already pegged a resumption date and released academic calendars – this clearly means in no time, all schools would resume soon enough.
So, how should you prepare yourself for possible resumption amid the coronavirus pandemic era?
How to Prepare Yourself for School Reopening?
Indications from schools that have already announced their resumption show that all schools would indeed reopen following the directives from the Federal Government, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and even the World Health Organization (WHO).
Some highlights from these directives and that of other schools that have already resume, or that have set a resumption date includes:
- That all students are to resume with at least five (5) washable facemasks.
- That students are to resume with at least 2 face shields.
- That all students are to resume with hand sanitizers that would last till the end of the semester.
- That schools would provide hand-washing facilities and mechanisms at strategic locations.
- That social distancing rules would be applied, followed, and obeyed accordingly.
- Unnecessary social activities and gatherings would be avoided.
- Resumption would be in batches and phases in some states.
- The number of students per class would be reduced.
- Morning, afternoon and maybe evening classes system would be introduced.
- eLearning classes would also be used in some states to complement traditional classes.
- Schools are to conduct a risk assessment to ensure all schools are at a level of compliance and create a monitoring mechanism to assess, create, and monitor the level of preparedness; adding that educational institutions are to remain closed to in-classes until the level of risk is assessed.
- Schools are to follow the template for safe reopening released by the Federal Ministry of Education.
- etc.
Students are hereby advised to begin reading if they are yet to do so, as most schools would tend to ‘rush’ academic activities so that the academic calendar of the various institutions would not be too distorted, and also, to meet up to their private institutions’ counterparts who continued academic activities virtually.