The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said it has postponed the resumption date of its Science and Technical College (NSTC), Okoloba, Delta state.
The agency said the postponement was in line with the Federal Government’s directive that all primary and secondary schools in the country should postpone their resumption date over the outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Diseases (EVD) in the country.
The agency said in a statement the new resumption date would be on the 13th of October 2014.
The statement reads, “The Federal Government of Nigeria has directed all public and private primary and secondary school should remain closed till October 13th 2014. In view of this, our resumption date is now October 13th 2014.”
The Federal Government had on Tuesday postponed the resumption of all primary and secondary schools till October 13.
Announcing the shift in resumption date in Abuja, Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, said the decision became necessary in view of the risk posed by the Ebola virus which could easily spread through schools.
His words: “All primary and secondary schools, both public and private are to remain closed until Monday October 13, 2014 which is the new school resumption date for all schools throughout the Federation.”
The schools were originally scheduled to re-open in the second week of September.
Shekarau, who briefed the press at the end of a meeting with state commissioners of education, added that all on-going summer schools were also affected by the order with immediate effect.
Further, he said the change in the resumption date was also to enable the Federal and state governments as well as school authorities put in place adequate preventive measures before the pupils return to school.
“All state Ministries of Education are to immediately organise and ensure that at least two staff in each school, both public and private, are trained by appropriate health workers on how to handle any suspected case of Ebola and also embark on immediate sensitization of all teaching and non-teaching staff in all schools on preventive measures. This training of staff must be concluded not later than September 15, 2014.”
He further directed states Ministries of Education to establish Working and Monitoring Teams for effective supervision of school activities before and after opening of schools.
“Each State Ministry of Education should appoint a designated Desk Officer not later than September 1, 2014 who should also receive appropriate training and who must report on daily basis to the Honourable Commissioner on situation in the schools. The names of such Desk Officers, their phone numbers and e-mail addresses should be communicated to the Headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Education not later than September 1, 2014,” Shekarau stated.
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