The rising disparity in education between those in the urban and rural
\nareas in Nigeria has shown clearly that the lockdown order by the
\nFederal government on schools is not the best option to address the
\nchallenges occasioned by Coronavirus in the system.<\/p>\n
President Mohammadu Buhari had on 29th June, 2020, approved the
\nrecommendation of the Presidential Task Force on COVID19 (PTF COVID-19)
\non Safe Reopening of Schools for students in graduating classes (Primary
\n6, JS3, SS3). This is done in order to prepare the students for their
\nexamination and brige the gap created by COVID-19 in education.<\/p>\n
In an attempt to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 in Nigeria, the
\nFederal Government had in March, ordered the lockdown of schools and
\nclosure of many social platforms. This prompted some state governments
\nto commenced digital lectures, while some private schools continue to
\nteach their students online.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, because of the epileptic power supply and other
\ninadequacies in the country, some students continue to stay at home
\nwithout learning either online or offline. While some continue to
\nadvance in education.<\/p>\n
This is complicated by the hardship caused by the lockdown on the
\neconomic activities due to the upsurge in the number of cases tested
\npositive of the virus. In order to minimize the loss caused by this
\nlockdown, some employers withheld the salaries of workers, placed some
\non half salary and in some cases disengaged some who happen to be the
\nparents of these students.<\/p>\n
Because of the paucity of funds, some parents could not afford to buy
\ngenerator to power their television set. While those that have, struggle
\nto fuel it. This has really affected the objective of the digital
\nlectures, widen the education gap between students across the country
\nand shows that the lockdown order in education will be
\ncounter-productive at the long run if not quickly replaced with a better
\nmethod.<\/p>\n
Infact, the rate at which coronavirus continues to spread worldwide
\nshows clearly that the lockdown order in education is unsustainable
\nbecause of the future effect on the students, country and the world at
\nlarge.<\/p>\n
For instance, the number of people that were tested positive of the
\nvirus in March when the lockdown order was seen to be the best solution
\nwas not up to 3 millions, today, it has passed 11 millions worldwide.<\/p>\n
Most countries that started this lockdown order in education have
\nreplaced it with social distancing after realizing that coronavirus is
\nnot going to stop in the nearest future. This also should be adopted in
\nNigeria.<\/p>\n
Though, looking at the shortage of manpower, dilapidated infrastructure
\nand other challenges drawing back the wheel of education system in
\nNigeria even before the importation of coronavirus, it will be easy to
\njump to conclusion that social distancing might not work in the country.
\nBut the question barely comes to mind is: when is coronavirus going to
\nend in Nigeria?<\/p>\n
This is the reason social distancing method needs to replace the
\nlockdown order in education before it will be too late. Social
\ndistancing will reduce the growing inequality in education and prevent
\nmass failure in future.<\/p>\n
To do this, the government needs to overhaul the education system by
\nemploying more teachers, divide the school hours into three section for
\ninstance, morning section, afternoon session and evening section. Make
\neach section 3hours in order to avoid break time and place the teachers
\non shift.<\/p>\n
Send teachers above 50 years on compulsory leave and stop the Ministry
\nof Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management and Social Development from
\ndisengaging N-Power Volunteers because this the time we need more hands
\nin education.<\/p>\n
Organize meetings with stakeholders in education and put in place
\nmeasures such as water point, sanitizers,\u00a0 among others in order to
\nprevent the spread of the virus in schools.<\/p>\n
Create temporary health centers in schools and ask those under the
\nN-power health scheme to mount them so that they can be checking the
\ntemperature of the students as the come and leave the school premises on
\ndaily basis.<\/p>\n
Set up monitoring team that will contain government officials,
\nParent-Teachers Association (PTA) members and people from the N-power
\nScheme to ensure compliance.<\/p>\n
Use the fund budgeted for the home feeding programme to purchase face
\nshade, noise mask and distribute them free to the students because the
\nmajor disseater that needs urgent attention\u00a0 now in education is the
\nlockdown.<\/p>\n
Though, this would consume more money but it worth it, because the way
\ncovid-19 is growing in the country, it is obvious that the virus might
\nnot leave in the nearest future and if the lockdown order continues,
\nthere would be a lot of out of school children which will increase crime
\nrate in future. This is because an idle mind is the laboratory of the
\ndevil.<\/p>\n
Therefore, government should lift ban on schools and put in place
\nmeasures that will engender social distancing, hygienic living among
\nstudents, so that the nation will not because of the COVID-19 sow the
\nseed of inequality which might increase different types of crime
\nthreatening the peace and unity in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
Femi Oluwasanmi,
\nIbafo,
\nOgun State.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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