Secondary Schools To Reopen August 4

Secondary schools in Nigeria will reopen on August 4, to enable exit students to take West African Examinations (WAEC) 2020.

This was disclosed in a statement by ministry of education on Monday.

The statement signed by Ben Bem Goong, Director, Press and Public Relations, said, “Secondary schools in the country are to reopen as from the 4th of August, 2020 for exit classes only.

“Students will have two weeks within which to prepare for the West African Examinations (WAEC) due to start on the 17th of August, 2020”.

It added that the decision to reopen schools for final year secondary school students to take this year’s WAEC was unanimously reached at a virtual meeting between minister of education, Adamu Adamu, state commissioners of education and Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and private schools and executives of WAEC on Monday.

“These were the unanimous decisions reached today at a virtual consultative meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education, Honourable Commissioners of Education of the 36 states, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT), the proprietors of private schools, and Chief Executives of examination bodies.

“It was agreed that the exit classes should resume immediately after the Sallah break, from the 4th of August, 2020 to enable them prepare for the WAEC examinations scheduled to commence from the 17th of August, 2020.

“The meeting also resolved that a passionate appeal be made to the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and public spirited Nigerians for assistance to schools across the country to enable them fast track the preparations for safe reopening, as agreed.

The statement noted that, “Another meeting is to be convened tomorrow between the Federal Ministry of Education and Chief Executives of examination bodies namely, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS to harmonise their examination dates, which will be conveyed to stakeholders expeditiously by the Federal Ministry of Education.”

There has been a significant level of confusion on the part of the Nigerian government regarding when it’s safe to reopen schools in the country which have been closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.