Schools need to establish isolation centres before reopening - Minister of education

The federal government has set out requirements that schools must meet and educational institutions must meet in the country before reopening. 

The requirements are set out in a 36-page paper sent by Education Minister Mallam Adamu Adamu for their input to the Senate. 

Our reporter's paper is titled: "School and learning facilities guidance reopening after COVID-19 pandemic closure."

In his forward to the document, the Minister described the conditions as key strategies for implementing safe , effective, and equitable plans for reopening and operating schools. 

He noted: "The guidelines also illustrate the urgent need to sustain and develop distance learning programmes, given that COVID-19 could be with us for a while." 

He added that the guidelines were drafted in close coordination with experts in health , environment, education, and school safety who were tasked with charting a path for safe reopening of schools and learning facilities for quality teaching and learning.

A big conditionalities plank is that schools must "build temporary immediate" COVID-19 "isolation space" before it can be considered reopening. 

Schools are also required to "ensure that a School COVID-19 Referral Program is developed, including protocols and procedures to be taken when learners, teachers , administrators and other educational staff are unwell while in school." 

Schools must also establish and equip dispensaries and clinics appropriately, as appropriate.