Ogun to reopen schools September 21

• Offers guidelines for public school operations.

Ogun State has announced that Public and private schools will resume classes on September 21, for the 2020/2021 academic session, five months after closure due to the spread of Coronavirus.

In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kunle Somorin, stated that the resumption is for primary, secondary schools, technical and vocational colleges and tertiary institutions.

It will be recalled that the state government had directed students in terminal classes, the Junior Secondary Students (JS3) and Senior Secondary three students writing National Examination Council (NECO) and West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) respectively, to return to school for their examinations

The government also said that school hours for public schools will be staggered as part of the efforts to meet the COVID-19 guidelines for school operations.

Pupils in Primary 1 to 3 are expected to be in schools from the hours of 8.00 am to 11.00 am while those in Primary 4 to 6 are to go for classes from 12 pm to 3.00 pm.

Students in JSS1 to JSS3 are to be in school from 8.00 am to 11.00 am while those in SS1 to SS3 are expected in school from 12 pm to 3 pm.

While those in Technical and Vocational will operate their normal school hours of 8.00 am to 2.00 pm.

The statement further said that those in Early Child Care Development and Education classes that are 3-5 years of age will not be resuming in public schools until the next phase of schools’ reopening.

Owners of private schools are also expected to take necessary measures to meet the COVID-19 protocols for physical distancing, among other requirements, with tertiary institutions reopening from the same date, as may be determined by their respective Management.

It should be noted that the government had earlier announced that all students had been given an automatic promotion to the next class, including automatic placement for primary 6 students in public primary schools into JSS1 of public secondary schools.

However, primary 6 students desirous of placement into the State-owned Boarding Schools will sit for the Common Entrance Examination on Saturday, September 12, 2020.

The hitherto JSS3 students who have now been promoted to SS1 will write their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in October 2020.