The Delta State Government yesterday warned private school proprietors against flouting its directives on the phased resumption of academic activities in schools across the state.
The government insisted that on no account should any school commence academic activities for the nursery or pre-primary sections until directed otherwise.
While other sections of the school system have resumed academic activities in a phased re-opening strategy following the over six months COVID-19 induced holiday, the government had announced that pre-primary classes would resume next January.
As a result, the State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Patrick Ukah, warned that the state government would not hesitate to wield the sledge hammer on any private school that flouts the directive on resumption for nursery classes.
Ukah, in a statement made available in Asaba, said officials of the ministry had been ordered to visit private schools in the state to fish out defaulters.
He noted that the state was implementing phased resumption of schools because of the COVID-19 pandemic and critical stakeholders in the education sector are of the opinion that nursery/primary pupils would resume academic activities in January 2021.
Ukah advised parents and guardians not to take their children and wards in the aforementioned classes to school as government has not approved the resumption of academic activities for them.
The Commissioner cautioned private school proprietors who are contravening state government’s directive to retrace their steps or face appropriate punishment.