Adejoke Adeleye, Abeokuta
The President of Education, Gender, Youths and Family Network (EDUGUF-N ), a nonprofit organisation based in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Professor Hellen Bodunde, has called on Federal and state governments to be cautious in yielding to pressures for reopening of schools.
Professor Bodunde, an educationist, also said some of the private schools’ proprietors are possibly not ready for re-opening.
The Don who was reacting to the agitation by private school owners for reopening of schools told newsmen in Abeokuta that not all private schools could cope with the Covid-19 protocol for reopening of schools.
According to her, while some private schools will not be able to comply with precautionary measures against COVID-19 because of inadequate resources, the government also lacks the manpower to monitor all the schools to ensure compliance.
She noted that experience have revealed that government efforts would be on compliance of the big private schools, noted that no life of a child is worth sacrificing in the schools in rural areas.
Professor Bodunde noted that many states failed in monitoring compliance in earlier reopened sectors such as transportation, markets and other public places.
The Professor stressed that life is more important than the proposed hasty reopening of schools.
She advised the stakeholders to learn from the experiences of other countries like South Africa by exercising restraint in yielding to the pressure of the few proprietors calling for the reopening of schools.
She also urged parents to also speak out against the move to reopen schools.