A Professor of Educational Management, Sidikat Ijaiya, has asked the federal government to ensure that proper assessment was done before schools are permitted to reopen.
Ijaijya on Wednesday warned that such assessment should be completed ahead resumption of students to avoid widespread coronavirus infections.
The former Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Academics, University of Ilorin, told newsmen in the Kwara State capital, that in spite of fear, something has to be done for schools to resume.
She observed that private schools online lessons were working for parents and students in urban areas, while the rural dweller are left out
“In any case, online lessons cannot take the place of face-to-face teaching in the education of young citizens, so, it is inevitable,” NAN quoted her as saying.
She urged all Nigerians to “speak up on the side of education, especially to assist the government on possible strategies to adopt in the reopening of schools without an upsurge in the spread of the pandemic”.
The don said the challenges of Nigerian are worrisome already without the COVID-19 pandemic.
She highlighted them as overcrowded classrooms, poor sitting arrangement, stuffy classrooms, poor infrastructure, poor hygiene, shortage of classrooms and teachers.
“There are classes with 50 to 150 students, especially in big towns and cities. Pupils are sitting on mats and bare floors in some schools. How do we manage that in the face of the pandemic,” she said.