This was contained in in a short statement issued on Monday by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong.

The government through the statement cautioned school authorities to stop asking students or parents to undergo COVID-19 test before they are accepted in their schools.

The statement added that only temperature checks should be carried out on students and any other person crossing any school gate.

“No Covid-19 Test Required for Resumption of Students. The Federal Ministry of Education says no Covid-19 Test is required for returning students to be admitted into their schools.

“Only temperature checks should be carried out on students and any other person crossing any school gate.

“School authorities should therefore refrain from asking students or parents to undergo covid-19 test before they are accepted in their schools,” the statement read.

The Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo, who made a visit to some schools in the state to see level of compliance and also sensitise them on COVID-19 disclosed this on Monday.

Adefisayo, while addressing journalist said, “There are some routines that will ensure that we are able to keep children away from each other. For one, no sports day, which is a pity because school is all about relationship. No assembly so that we don’t all come into one place.”

The Commissioner who visited the schools with a quality assurance team promised that the visit will be on a regular basis.

“That means we are not going to leave the schools alone. We are going to keep coming around, holding meetings, talking to them and encouraging them,” she said.

On the issue of face masks, Adefisayo admitted “I know they find it uncomfortable. I keep asking, isn’t it better to be uncomfortable and alive? So, let’s cope with the discomfort. We have to keep on re-enforcing the message, insisting that no mask, no entry.”

Professor  Ujah, added that there was no data backing up the reopening of schools to ascertain which school is ready to reopen in line with the protocols.

The medical expert stated this while appearing as a guest on Channels TV Sunrise Daily on Monday.

He, however warned the the federal and state governments against disregarding medical experts’ advice on COVID-19.

“What lessons have we learnt one year after? If we say that students should go to school, what facilities have we put in place? Our problem is that we do a lot of talking doing very little. It is also true that we do not listen to experts. What we have been saying is that this coronavirus is totally unprepared for.

“We know that children will go to school, we know that they should maintain the NCDC protocols, but what have we done in the schools? Nigeria is an interesting country, full of contradictions.

“Whether it is private or public, an injury to one is an injury to all. What I know is that we have no statistics on schools that are ready. Whether it is private or public and what they should put in place.

“I think we are very sentimental in making this decision as a nation. Let us follow the advice of experts. While we are saying that schools should be reopened, we should be prepared and there should be monitoring and supervision. We talk and we don’t supervise,” he said.

InsideOjodu reports that nursery, primary and secondary schools in states like Lagos, Ogun,  Ogun, Ebonyi and Nasarawa have resume academic activities today Monday, January 18 for the second term of the 2020/21 academic year.

The media outfit also report that the country’s COVID-19 total infection according to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC now stands at 1,444, with fatalities of more than 1,400.

The chairman of the House committee on basic education, who reacted to reopening in a statement, said the reopening will pose a threat to the fight against the second wave of COVID-19.

Ihonvbere said the legislative arm was not reached before the federal government arrived at the decision

The chairman, however proposed that the resumption date should be postponed by three month.

He also lamented that there are no “verifiable and sustainable arrangements to protect and secure” the students during the pandemic.

“We are particularly concerned that when the infection rates hovered around 500 and under, schools were closed; but now that it hovers well above 1,000 infections daily, schools are being reopened.

“Why are we rushing to reopen schools without adequate verifiable and sustainable arrangements to protect and secure our children?

“They did not consult us; at least in my committee, nobody from the ministry spoke to me. I have been in Abuja. And I am not sure that they spoke to any of my members,” he said.

InsideOjodu had earlier reported that the Nigeria Center for Disease Control NCDC on Sunday, January 17, 2021 announced that the country’s COVID-19 total infection now stands at 1444.

With, Lagos state recording 901 new cases, the highest for the day.

Honourable Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, made this affirmation today, Friday.

Adefisayo noting that the decision was in line with the Federal Government’s resolution after reaching a consensus with relevant stakeholders.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this in Friday.

He, however, didn’t mention the name of the school that has the COVID-19 cases.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Health, Abayomi said the positive cases were detected during surveillance and case investigation in the school.

The statement titled, “Lagos confirms COVID-19 infection in a private school”, was singed by the Ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo.

The statement quoted the commissioner as saying that “181 students and staff members of a private school located in a suburb of Lekki tested positive to COVID19 during surveillance and case investigation in the school. There are 441 students and staff in the school”.

Giving details of the investigation, Abayomi explained that “a 14-year-old SS1 female student fell ill on the 3rd of October and was sent home after receiving first aid at the school”.

He added that “the student subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday 6th of October in one of the accredited private labs in Lagos”.

“There is a total lockdown and movement restriction in the school with the Epidemiology and Surveillance Pillar of the EOC and Ibeju-Lekki LGA State Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) reporting at the school daily to conduct further investigation while positive students and staff have been isolated on the premises and given the COVID-19 home-care treatment packs and are being monitored in isolation within the school premises,” Abayomi added.

It, however, advised that the reopening should be done in phases or staged so as to avoid another outbreak of COVID-19 especially on vulnerable groups who are returning back to schools.

It could be recalled that the Federal Government in March shut down schools across the country, as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, with the number in cases declining, the Federal Government on August 4, 2020 announced the resumption of SS3 and JSS 3, so as to write this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination, which was slated for August 17, 2020, through September 12, 2020.

But speaking on Thursday during a briefing at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu said the task force recommends phased return of students.

Aliyu said, “For educational institutions which include daycare, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Educational institutions should begin the process of working towards potentially reopening within this phase.

“However, strongly recommend that states conduct risk assessment to ensure all schools are at a level of compliance and create a monitoring mechanism to assess and create and monitor this level of preparedness.

“Meanwhile, all daycares and educational institutions to remain closed to in-classes until this level of risk is assessed. And if there will be opening of schools, it must be staged and preferably carried out in phases to ensure that this does not pose a risk to the general public and in particular to vulnerable groups that might end up getting infected by students going back home.”

InsideOjodu had earlier reported that there was outrage by parents of pupils in private secondary schools in the state over the request of N25,000 COVID-19 test fee by the government.

But the governor in a statement on Monday titled, “Ogun Makes COVID-19 Test Free For All Returning SS3 Boarding Students”, has stepped down COVID-19 test as a requirement for each graduating pupil to resume.

The statement read, “After reviewing these developments, I have today immediately directed that the Government Laboratories carry out tests for all returning SS3 boarding students at no cost. I have also directed that all those who have paid for tests be refunded.

“The health of our children remains our utmost priority, however in view of the total number of boarding students to be tested (5,340private and 500 public), and bearing in mind the limitation of our installed testing capacity of 500 tests per day, it may not be feasible for all boarding students to get tested and get their results prior to resumption or even exams which commence on 17th August 2020.

“Consequently, the State Government has, therefore, stepped down the COVID-19 test as a mandatory requirement for returning students in our exit classes.

“We, therefore, enjoin Private School owners to exercise their duty of care to their pupils. The admittance of students into boarding houses in private secondary schools will be at the discretion of the management and the Parents Teachers Association of such private schools.

“Ogun State Government recommends that students who do not have to stay in the boarding house should attend school from home, especially those with underlying health conditions.

“I have also directed the provision of face masks to all students in both private and public schools. The inconvenience and confusion experienced yesterday is highly regrettable and my sincere apologies to the parents and students so affected.

“The quality and standard of education and well being of our children are issues that are very dear to my heart.

“I appreciate the cooperation, support, resilience and understanding of all the people of Ogun State towards flattening the curve of COVID-19 in Ogun State. It is my prayer that this phase will end soonest.”

InsideOjodu recalls that this is coming few days after the Federal Government had approved August 4 as the new date for the reopening of secondary schools across the country particularly for students in exit classes.

The body announced the extension via its official Twitter handle @waecnigeria on Wednesday.

The tweet read: “This is to inform intending candidates of WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2020-Second Series, that the closing date of registration for the examination has been extended to Friday, August 28, 2020.”

Recall that the Federal Government had on Monday, 27 July said schools could reopen on August 4 so pupils could revise for two weeks in preparation for the examination which is scheduled to begin on August 17.

Lagos State Commissioner for Education Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, and the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Education, Mrs Ronke Soyombo, confirmed this to The Nation on Tuesday.

However, Ekiti Commissioner for Education Mr Foluso Daramola said SS3 pupils would resume, but that the state had not decided on whether Junior Secondary Three (JS3) pupils would also return.

“I am just coming from a meeting at the governor’s office on the issue.  We will issue a statement on it,” she said.

The Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Education said schools considered to be high risk in Ogun would not be allowed to reopen, noting that such schools would be identified through their responses in an online reopening form.

In the form, schools are given the options of “risky” (coded red), “moderate” (yellow) or “none” (green) in response to questions about their readiness for resumption.

Soyombo said schools have until Friday evening to submit the form, which can be downloaded from the ministry’s website.

She said: “For schools that fill mostly red (risky) in all the fields, we will not reopen them.  We may need to do a contingency plan for their students.”

She said the state has met with stakeholders on the reopening, while risk assessment training has been conducted.

Soyombo said public schools in Ogun had been provided with water, soap and other facilities in line with the requirements for resumption.

Federal Government Colleges (unity schools) will resume on August 4 for SS3 pupils only.

Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Ben Gong, said the Presidential Task Force (PTF) would announce on Thursday whether JSS3 pupils would resume.

Also yesterday, Benue State Government approved the reopening of schools for SS3 pupils.

Commissioner for Education Prof Dennis Ityavyar, said JSS 3 pupils would also resume.

He said the government had put necessary measures in place to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

He urged parents to ensure their children wear facemasks and observe other safety precautions.

On the planned handover of missionary schools to their owners, Ityavyar said a committee headed by the Secretary to the Government, Prof Anthony Ijohor, had been set up to make recommendations within a week.