Ahead of the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) which has been slated for 17th of this Month, Oyo state government has affirmed that necessary machinery has been in motion for the Oyo State Students to excel in the external examination.

The Chairman of the State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Pastor Akinade Alamu, disclosed this on Monday in a chat with Noble FM’s correspondent, Micheal Oladejo.

Pastor Alamu who frowned at the insinuation that there may likely be a mass failure in the state due to the short notice by WAEC in choosing 17th of August as the commencement date for the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), explained that the state government had made hay while the sun shines, thus, there is no cause for alarm.

Pastor Akinade maintained that there would be a continuation of the intervention program for the SS3 Class until the commencement of WASSCE on August 17, 2020.

While giving updates on the ongoing teachers’ recruitment in the state, the TESCOM boss hinted that about 70thousand applicants’ data have been uploaded and the commission will conduct a Computer-based test for the applicants before the 15th of August, 2020.

The TESCOM chairman added that the commission has concluded interviews for about one thousand non-teaching staff who intended to upgrade to full-time teachers and the results of the interviews will be released in due course.

You will recall that the Oyo State Government, in conformity with the agreement reached by the Federal and State Governments with the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), adjusted its school calendar to suit the commencement date of the 2020 West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

LASG Monitors Public, Private Schools’ Compliance with Resumption Safety Protocol

Commissioner Says Students Must Not Exceed 20 per Class

The Lagos State Ministry of Education, on Monday, embarked on a monitoring exercise to public and private schools in its effort to ensure compliance to the COVID-19 protocols and guidelines for schools reopening.

The Honourable Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, who led the monitoring team to assess the process of resumption and ensured that all safety protocols were strictly observed in order to reduce the risk of anyone contracting the disease.

In a chat with news correspondents during the inspection tour of some public and private Schools in Yaba, Surulere and Apapa under the State’s Education District IV, Adefisayo expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness of the schools visited, adding that the State Government is very concerned about the safety of students and their teachers.

While stressing that the students and teachers wellbeing is of utmost importance to the State Government, the Commissioner noted that the inspection tour will continue till all Schools are covered, adding that any school accommodating other students apart from SS3 and TEC3 contrary to the State government’s directive this period will face disciplinary action.

She emphasised that the resumption became necessary for the students to write their WASSCE Examinations and encouraged them to put in their best in the forthcoming exams taking place in two weeks’ time in order to excel, urging them to shun all vices, work hard and stay focused on their studies.

Adefisayo also implored teachers to take care of themselves and to take up the role of enforcement and compliance with the COVID-19 protocols by the students, hinting that the bulk of these efforts lie in their hands as they are the custodians of the students while in school.

She reiterated that students must not exceed 20 per class in compliance with physical distancing and called on parents/guardians to monitor the children/wards closely as their roles are germane and complimentary at this period, stressing that all hands must be on deck to curb the spread and flatten the curve as the State government is determined to contain the disease.

The Commissioner added that asides her visitation to schools, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Tutors-General/Permanent Secretaries of the Six Education Districts, Office of Education Quality Assurance and other top officials of the Ministry were also on the field across the State to ensure that maximum compliance and coordination are achieved.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Abosede Adelaja added that the Lagos State Government has provided free face masks and sanitisers for all students.

She noted that aside from fumigating the schools and ensuring a clean and conducive environment for learning, the State Government has also provided facilities such as wash hand basins and potable water.

Adelaja, therefore, maintained that all policies made by the government for compliance with COVID-19 protocols will be observed, noting that visitors and food vendors are not allowed into the school premises during this period.

OGUN MAKES COVID-19 TEST FREE FOR ALL RETURNING SS3 BOARDING STUDENTS

The State has been very apprehensive about the issue of school opening even for exit students. Data from other countries, where schools have resumed show that community transmission in school environments is a major concern. Even countries with strongerhealth care facilities than ours are being very cautious.

In line with the Federal Ministry of Education recommendation and WASSCE timetable, we decided to open our schools on the 4thAugust 2020 for SS3 students only. We put in place guidelines that would ensure that our students resume in a safe environment.

In our pre-opening engagements with stakeholders, opening of boarding houses was discussed. Our State has one of the largest population of boarding students in the country, coming from all over the Country. After consultations with health professionals, we concluded that testing the children for COVID-19 before admittance will reduce the risk of community transmission. This is to reassure parents and even teachers of the safety of everybody concerned.

The State planned and provided testing, free of charge, for boarding students in our public schools and allowed for the management and parents of private schools to make their arrangements to get COVID tests. The two Ogun State run laboratories have a capacity for about 500 tests a day and conduct free tests for traced contacts or symptomatic patients. To meet the additional demand for the expected number of boarding students, the statement from the Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology listed some private test centers which set up sampling points in some of our Health facilities.

These private laboratories have been accredited by NCDC and Lagos State Government for walk-in tests and charge N50,400 per test but I understand that the Ministries of Health and Education negotiated this to N25,000 for boarding students in private schools that may wish to use them. There is no financial benefit to the State Government.

After reviewing these developments, I have today immediately directed that the Government Laboratories carry out test for all returning SS3 boarding students at no cost. I have also directed that all those who have paid for tests be refunded.

The health of our children remains our utmost priority, however in view of the total number of boarding students to be tested (5,340private and 500 public), and bearing in mind the limitation of our installed testing capacity of 500 tests per day, it may not be feasible for all boarding students to get tested and get their results prior to resumption or even exams which commence on 17th August 2020.

Consequently the State Government has therefore stepped down the COVID-19 test as a mandatory requirement for returning students in our exit classes. We therefore enjoin Private School owners toexercise their duty of care to their pupils. The admittance of students into boarding house in private secondary schools will be at the discretion of the management and the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of such private schools.

Ogun State Government recommends that students who do not have to stay in the boarding house should attend school from home, especially those with underlying health conditions.

I have also directed the provision of face masks to all students inboth private and public schools.

The inconvenience and confusion experienced yesterday is highly regrettable and my sincere apologies to the parents and students so affected.

The quality and standard of education and well being of our children are issues that are very dear to my heart.

I appreciate the cooperation, support, resilience and understanding of all the people of Ogun State towards flattening the curve of COVID-19 in Ogun State. It is my prayer that this phase will end soonest.