Public school teachers in Ogun state Tuesday demanded provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), infrared thermometers, hand sanitisers among other conditions for the safe reopening of schools in the state.
The state chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Titilope Adebanjo, who gave the conditions while speaking with Blueprint at the union’s secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital, insisted that the conditions must be met before schools can reopen in the state.
Other conditions given by the NUT are: disinfection of school premises, provision of running water, alcohol based sanitisers, training of teachers on how to use the thermometers and standby health personnel within a one kilometer radius of schools.
Governor Dapo Abiodun had declared that religious centres and schools would remain shut for the next two weeks.
The governor stated that a committee had been set up to engage all stakeholders and develop guidelines for safe reopening of schools, especially to allow certificate classes to resume and write their examinations.
The NUT chairman stated that the conditions are contained in a position paper presented to the government on how best to ensure safe reopening of schools without jeopardising the health of the students.
He dispelled the rumour making the rounds that public school teachers are not ready to resume work, insisting that teachers are tired of staying at home and they are ready for school reopening.
Adebanjo said, “As a union, we know that we have a responsibility and this necessitated us to present a position paper to the Ogun state government as we are looking forward to reopening our schools.”
