The on-going contro
versy generated by the Federal Government’s directives that private and public primary and, secondary schools across the country should reopen on Monday September 22, is one that many think should have been avoided if the right things were done by those in authority.
Of a truth, federal government, Lagos and Rivers State government deserve commendation for their handling of the out break of the Ebola disease. Following the outbreak of EVD in Nigeria through Liberian – American, Patrick Sawyer in July, many were apprehensive that given the mediocrity of our leadership and the high population of the country, many of  whom live in squalor, the country was doomed.
But government rose to the occasion, worked tirelessly and ensured that, the Ebola disease was contained. For this notable achievement, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations have praised the country. Many Nigerians have also not failed to use various social network platforms to appreciate the country’s leadership for a job well done.
All these accolade lavished on government will however, seem, misplaced if the federal government is not cautious of the way it handles the controversial school resumption issue.
Already, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has rejected the September 22 resumption date asking its members to shun the directive except each state government provides training for teachers on handling of Ebola, make available infrared thermometers for schools, including other facilities such as tap water, hand sanitiser, soap, among others.
The president of the association, Micheal Olukoja clearly stated that NUT was not opposed to the date given by the Federal Government for the resumption of schools, but warned teachers not to report in any of the schools except the aforementioned conditions were met. Apart from the NUT, the Nigeria Medical Association, had also kicked against the shifting of the schools resumption date from October 13 to September 22, arguing that schools should not be reopened until all those under surveillance for the EVD in the country are certified free. The association  insisted that the October 13 resumption date will allow for the completion of the surveillance of those quarantined arguing that long delay in resumption is not out of place because school children are gregarious and vulnerable and therefore, contact among them could lead to an outburst of unmanageable breath.
Other stakeholders like the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary school’s, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have equally rejected the September 22 resumption date. They premised their objection on the fact that there were no preventive measures on ground to ensure the health of pupils and students returning to school.
It might be easy for some people to castigate the NUT members for being unpatriotic especially as President Goodluck Jonathan has urged the union and other industrial unions in the country to drop their controversial stance on the September 22 date for resumption of schools, but a visit to some of the public schools will help you understand where the teachers are coming from. Many of these public schools have no water, no hygienic toilets and pupils and students are left with no option than to defecate in nearby bushes, canals and gutters.
Is it not worrisome that in this 21st century, over 30 million Nigerians estimatedly still practice open defecation, and Nigeria is on the notorious list of countries still with such unhealthy habit? Yet we are told that contact with body fluids and wastes are easy ways of spreading Ebola and other killer contagious diseases.
So the questions are, must federal, and state governments wait for NUT to embark on strike before the rights things are done?
What measures have government taken to check the spread of Ebola in schools if these basic necessities are still lacking? How many teachers have been trained to handle any outbreak of Ebola? How many public schools have been supplied the required preventive gadgets such as hand gloves, sanitisers, and others?
The proprietors of private schools who are believed to be pushing for schools to reopen on September 22 may argue that they have provided all these in their schools but what percentage of Nigerians children are in these private schools? Besides, can these priviledged ones exist in isolation? If there is an outbreak of Ebola in a public school, it will defiantly rob off on private schools no doubt.
Again, the argument by private schools proprietors that a delay in the resumption of schools would greatly distort the academic calendar year is inconsequential. It could be seen as a misplacement of priority as one has to be healthy before talking of academics. If the school resumes and half of the children are affected by EVD, what is the education to such children, their families and nation at large?
As the NUT president said, “… if is better to delay the resumption of schools till 13th October 2014 even when the scourge would have been off months ago than to rush and open schools only to be faced with attacks of the EVD in the schools. It makes more sense to be doubly sure than to operate on shaky grounds of uncertainty and probability as it will be a catastrophe of unimaginable dimension if by any act of omission, we rush and open schools and end up with even more primary or secondary schools being infected by the virus”.
One therefore thinks it is important we take another look at the resumption date issue in the overall interest of the pupils, students, parents and guardians, schools and the general well-being of the entire country. Most importantly, the standard of living in our schools should be improved as September 22, or October 13 resumption dates will make no difference if the facilities in our school are not raised to standard.

Calista Ezeaku