Delta State government has ordered heads of public primary and secondary schools in the with enough spaces (classrooms) to accommodate pupils and students to run only morning session with immediate effect.
The directive was given by the State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Patrick Ukah, when he monitored resumption of schools across the state recently.
According to him, only schools with large population of students that are allowed to run morning and afternoon sessions.
Mr. Ukah stressed the need for teachers to work in synergy with their heads for the realization of effective coordination of the children.
He urged them to ensure effective teaching and learning as well as educate the children on the need to observe COVID-19 protocols, especially wearing of facemasks, just as he identified the importance of team work for the successful delivery of their objectives.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ukah lamented the low turnout of students in some schools especially the rural areas of the state.
He called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents and other stakeholders to appeal to pupils and students in rural areas of the state to resume academic activities for second term of the 2020/2021 academic session.
He disclosed that the second term academic calendar have been affected by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, expressing concern that students now have less weeks for academic work.
He wondered how parents and guardians can leave their children at home instead of ensuring that they resume academic activities and appealed to all concerned to ensure that their children go back to school immediately.
Mr. Ukah, who was accompanied on the monitoring by the new Director of Schools, Mrs. Clementina Ojumah, called on stakeholders in various communities to protect school facilities and prevail on their children to avoid destroying them for whatever reasons.
The Basic and Secondary Education Commissioner called on the school based management committee to interface with Parents’ Teachers’ Associations (PTAs) as a deliberate approach to safeguarding school facilities, and enjoined parents seeking for admission for their children not do so when second term had commenced.
Schools visited included Unity Secondary School in the State capital territory, Oruchi Comprehensive Secondary School, Okpanam, New Era Primary School, Okpanam, both in Oshimili north local government area.
Others are Ime-Obi Secondary School, Agbor, Omumu Primary School, Omumu Agbor, Omumu Mixed Secondary School, Omumu Agbor and Igumbor-Otiku Secondary School, Agbor, all in Ika south local government area.
