Health
UNICEF, in collaboration with Niger State Universal Basic Education (NSUBEB), and with funding from the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), on Saturday, trained School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) on COVID19 safety measures in schools.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2-day training was for 90 participants, including members of the SBMC, UNICEF desk officers, Education Secretaries, Mothers Associations and Head teachers in nine UNICEF focal support local government areas.
The local government areas are Agaie, Edati, Gbako, Mariga, Mashegu, Kontangora, Rafi, Munya and Shiroro.
In his remarks, Malam Bashir Umaru, the Director, Social Mobilisation of NSUBEB, said the training was to sensitise participants on COVID-19 guidelines and protocols set by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
“The participants are expected to go back to their various communities and step down what they have learnt to others, to ensure that the coronavirus protocols are observed in schools.
“This is part of the effort to ensure a safe school environment in order to avoid another lockdown of schools,’’ he said.
Mr Oladipo Philip, a Consultant with UNICEF in Niger, said the state ministry of education, with support from UNICEF, had earlier conducted a monitoring exercise on COVID19 compliance across 677 supported primary schools in the nine focal areas.
Philip said about 60 per cent of schools monitored showed that SBMC of schools were making efforts through cash donations and provision of COVID19 materials to schools, to curtail the spread of the virus among pupils.
He disclosed that only 32 per cent of schools monitored were complying with COVID-19 protocols.
Philip said the training was to further provide participants with information on COVID-19 guidelines and protocols which they would go back to step down in their communities so as to increase awareness and compliance in schools and at community levels.
In her presentation, one of the National Facilitators, Hajiya Aisha Abdullahi, took participants through what COVID-19 was, its prevention, and the measures to take when suspected cases were reported in schools.
She said participants were expected to go back to step down what they had learnt to others in their school and communities on the need to use face masks, sanitizers and handwashing materials.
A participant, Mr Sunday Manu from Munya Local Government, said the training had further increased his knowledge of COVID-19 protocols and promised to step down the training to the community.
Another participant, Malam Aminu Gambo, from Shiroro Local Government, lauded the organizers of the training as it would further help in safeguarding the lives of pupils against coronavirus in schools. (NAN)
– Apr. 17, 2021 @ 14:20 GMT
Tags: COVID-19: UNICEF Niger Govt. train 90 on safety measures in schools
