Low turnout, mixed reactions as pupils, students resume school in Oyo


Primary 6 pupils as well as Junior Secondary School (JSS) 3 and Senior Secondary School (SSS) 3 students across Oyo state on Monday resumed in their various schools as directed by the state government.
Blueprint investigations revealed that the turnout in most of the public schools especially in Ibadan, the state capital was low as most parents were still uncertain of the situation and preparation of ground for the resumption.
Private schools owners across the state on their part capitalised on the resumption to send back students that were owing.
As at 7.15am, some of the students were seen heading for their various schools armed with nosemask and hand sanitizers while the principals and head teachers on their part arrived their schools as early as 6.30am.


Blueprint correspondent’s visit into some public and private schools in Ibadan showed that nearly all the schools visited complied with the laid down COVID-19 protocols laid down by the government.
At the entrances of all the schools visited , buckets of water for hand washing together with soap and hand sanitizers were placed with one of the schools’ staff assigned to ascertain that the students complied with the hand washing protocols before entering into the school.
Immediately after washing their hands, the students were subjected to some screening with a scanning device before they were allowed into the classrooms.


Unlike the situation before the COVID 19, the usual assembly and prolonged protocols were completely set aside as students after passing through the screening moved straight into their various classes.
While in class, the students in some of the schools visited have their sitting arranged in line with the six meters laid down directive with the teachers monitoring the students.
At exactly 11am, the students were asked to come outside their various classrooms for the mandatory 30 minutes exposure to sunlight as directed by the Oyo state government.


However, some of the privately-owned schools in Ibadan turned back some of their students for wearing locally made nose masks particularly those made from Ankara materials
When contacted, Oyo state Commissioner for Education Science and Technology Barr. Olasunkanmi Olaleye expressed satisfaction with the resumption of the students as well as the level of compliance of the schools with the COVID 19 protocols.


Barr. Olaleye said the resumption of the students was monitored by governor Seyi Makinde himself and the directors in the Ministry of Education respectively.
The commissioner said the situation was similar in all the local governments across the state where education supervisors were fully on ground monitoring the resumption and compliance by the schools.

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