Schools not re-opening anytime soon —Minister

The Federal Government yesterday said that Nigerian schools will not reopen any time soon until it is safe to do so because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Federal Government also said that the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, cannot determine the resumption date of schools for Nigeria.
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu stated this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the 7th virtual Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Mallam Adamu said that final year students preparing for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) will not be allowed to return to school contrary to what had earlier been believed because it was not yet safe.
The Minister said he would prefer that Nigerian students lose an academic year than expose them to danger.
He appealed to states that have announced resumption of schools in their states to reconsider their position so as not to jeopardize the lives of the students.
Recall that this year’s examination, administered by WAEC, was postponed indefinitely in April after it was earlier scheduled to commence in May because schools were shut down across the country in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
However, Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, announced during a media briefing on Monday, July 6, 2020 that the exam will now take place between August 4 and September 5.