AS students resumed in Ondo state for the new academic session, the compliance to the COVID- 19 protocols was partially ignored.
The students flouted the COVID-19 guidelines as most of them did not use their nose masks while those who used hung it below their chin.
Parents as well as teachers also ignored the proper way of nose mask usage, in most of the schools visited in Akure, the state capital.
A visit to Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure, buckets of water, soap and sanitizers were provided at the school gate for those coming into the school, particularly the new entrants and their parents.
But while the parents were eager to register their wards for the new academic session, they did not make use of the provision at the school entra
On their part, the returning students after gaining entrance into the school, removed their nose masks and moved in groups without adhering to social distancing.
It was partial compliance to the protocols in St Louis Grammar School, Akure and Fiwasaye Girls’ Grammar School.
A visit to Eji-Oba High, Oba-Ile in Akure, showed that the compliance to the protocols was zero.
Buckets of water, soap and sanitizers were not provided at the school gate while both the teachers and students went about the school premises without nose mask.
Speaking with newsmen, the Principal of Oyemekun Grammar School, Ogunleye Okeowo, said that students who floated the guidelines will be sent back home.
Okeowo “We have to abide with the rules of COVID-19 protocols. It’s real and we must not joke with it. Maybe because of ignorance, some people don’t even believe in it. It’s real, and that is why you saw buckets of water as well soap and sanitizers across the premises of the schools.
“As for students who removed their face masks while in the school premises, we are going to deal with them. These boys, after coming in, they remove it and keep it in their pockets.
We’ve been telling them since last term that they have to come with their face masks. If we see any of them without face mask, we’ll have to send them back home.”
One of the parents, Mrs Toyosi Olaniran said that arrangements made by schools were inadequate.
Olaniran suggested that the new students ought to have been attended to before the returning students.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministy of Education, Akin Asaniyan blamed parents for most of the non compliance.
Asaniyan said, “this disease is real and it’s killing. But from what we’ve seen, the parents, especially are not taking it serious.
“Most of them allow their children to resume without face mask and some basic things. Why taking such risk? For the teachers who are parents too, they should do what is expected of them as parents.
“Where we don’t meet the required standard, we won’t allow such schools to operate, until the situation is rectified.
According to him “today is the first day of resumption, we will still brainstorm on what to do on the issue of clustering among the students. There will be a way out, that I can assure. We are not going to take any risk.”
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