Mixed feelings trail Sept 22 school resumption

As part of measures to prevent a possible pandemic outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, among pupils and students, the Lagos State Government is yet to state categorically, resumption date of all public and private nursery, primary and secondary schools for the 2014/2015 session.

The Federal Government after a national consultation had earlier directed all schools to resume on September, 22 as against October 12, 2014, following satisfactory containment of the EVD, in the country.

However, concerning the resumption date, Lagos State Government at the weekend expressed support for the September 22, 2014 resumption date, with a proviso.

As part of pre-emptive measures, the government had also directed the state’s water corporation to connect atleast 600 public secondary schools to its mains for the supply of pipe borne water inorder to reduce chances of Ebola spread in public schools.

In a statement, weekend, signed by Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Information and Strategy, Alhaji Lateef Raji, he stressed that though, the resumption date is advisory, as education is a concurrent matter to be regulated by the respective federal and states authorities, the state government considered it eminently justifiable, in view of the fact that there is currently no known carrier of EVD in our state at the moment.

Discharge from observation

He added that the last individual suspected to have been exposed to the virus will be discharged from observation on September 18, 2014.

He said: “If he tests negative for the virus. All public and private educational institutions in the state are therefore directed to schedule their resumption accordingly.

“Considering the current situation report, it is clear that the risk of infection with EVD in Lagos State has been significantly reduced. Health professionals working on the outbreak are also in agreement that there is no reason why schools should remain closed beyond the 22nd of September, 2014.”

Also, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris at an earlier joint ministerial press briefing on the update of EVD, attested to the fact that EVD had been successfully contained in the state.

Earlier, the state Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, at a sensitization exercise on the Ebola Virus for Principals and Head Teachers of Public Primary and Secondary Schools, as well as proprietors of public schools in the state advised the education stakeholders to inculcate in the students the basic universal precaution of frequently washing their hands in the fight against the virus.

Oladunjoye, who spoke through her Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Omolara Erogbogbo, stressed the need for the stakeholders to be proactive in safeguarding the human resources in their care against the outbreak of the Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever that has ravaged some West African Countries.

However, Idris, on the update of Ebola cases, noted that the importance of such a sensitive sensitization exercise for relevant stakeholders in school health management became necessary considering that school children are very vulnerable, though not a most-at-risk group with the EVD containment strategy.

His words: “By their nature, children especially the young ones, are very social beings that exhibit unhindered, innocent and almost carefree, social interactions among one another such that limitations in contacts prescribed as a pillar of the EVD containment strategy is observed more in breach rather than compliance in these ones.”He noted that the severity of the EVD has necessitated extreme and aggressive measures to halt the spread of the virus and has led countries heavily affected by the outbreak to enforce measures such as declaring state of public emergency, restricting public gathering, including closure of schools.

Idris also emphasised the need for people to imbibe the basic hand washing techniques in the fight against the virus in Lagos State.  On the uncertainty of schools resuming on September 22, the commissioner said, “We also realized that there is need for pupils to maintain proper toilet hygiene. Any children that is sick, should not be taken to school rather they should be taken to the nearest health facility for proper treatment. That is the international standard.

“Any patient with Ebola will not be working around. He will be in the hospital. We need to let the children understand that there is a virus called Ebola. They are not too young to be aware. All we need to do is put the required facilities in place.

“Ahead of the resumption, we are already putting in place measures to avoid any outbreak of Ebola virus. And part of the measures in place is the school health programme which we will use to increase activities on how to avoid contacting the virus, the hand washing programme will be scaled up. Some of the schools that do not have pipe-borne water will be given while those that already have will be increased,” he added.



WHO cautions govts

While saluting the efforts of
both the federal and state governments, World Health Organisation, WHO, Country representative in Nigeria, Dr. Rui Gama Vaz, urged the state government to avoid being complacent due to the apparent drop in the number of Ebola cases, saying the war has not been won until the virus is entirely wiped out. According to him, “On the school resumption, we need to ensure that the schools are fully prepared in terms of availability of water, soaps and sanitizers. The teachers must be fully aware of what is needed to be done when they are faced with any suspected case of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD in their school. The students must be enlightened about the symptom of the deadly disease.

“Even though the number of Ebola cases has reduced and most of the contacts are out of the 21 days. We should avoid any complacency. Until the last case is over and we have completed the surveillance to ensure that no other potential case, we should not relent in the effort to tackling the disease.

“We need to learn from this experience by not only dealing with the disease but to strengthen the entire health system in the country,” he added.

Parents react: Following the developments, parents have reacted to the resumption date with many giving kudos to the state government for being cautious.

Mr Victor Anyanwu, a civil servant said, “I will like the Ministries of Health and Education to kindly reconsider postponing resumption date of schools to a time that the nation can confidently declare Nigeria, Ebola virus free.  “Kids and play go together, therefore, we urge our governments to continue handling issues of Ebola with uppermost caution as a few months off from our children’s educational life cannot be compared with a complete loss of lives. Extending resumption till November 2014, is not too late.”


- Culled from: http://www.vanguardngr.com