World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have issued considerations for school-related public health measures in the context of Covid-19.
The updated advice is for policymakers and educators on running schools as safe as possible as the world battles to overcome the contagion, according to a statement on the UNICEF website.
The specific measures in the updated advice include staggering the times for school opening, closing, mealtimes and breaks; handwashing facilities; cleaning of surfaces and shared objects; and establishing mechanisms to share information with parents, students, and teachers.
The organisations also considered risk-based approaches for school operations, based on the level and intensity of transmission rates at lower schooling levels, age-appropriate considerations for measures such as physical distancing and masks in schools, and other measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
It was stated that at the forefront of all considerations and decisions should be the continuity of education for children for their overall well-being, health, and safety.
Also, the statement noted that this update was an annex to the WHO Public Health and Social Measures in the context of Covid-19, replacing an earlier version published by the WHO on 10 May, 2020, and applies to educational settings for children under the age of 18.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the federal government has asked school administrators to start preparing for the full reopening of schools.
National coordinator of the presidential task force (PTF) on Covid-19, Sani Aliyu, gave the directive at a PTF briefing.
Aliyu, who directed school administrators to conduct risk assessment, said the reopening would be done in phases.
‘However, we strongly recommend that states conduct risk assessment to ensure all schools are at a level of compliance and create a monitoring mechanism to assess, create, and monitor this level of preparedness’, he said.
The Nigerian government had in July approved reopening of schools for students to take the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Source: UNICEF
Photo source: Diana Robinson
