COVID-19: FCTA vows to prosecute proprietors who violates school closure order

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has strongly warned proprietors of private schools against reopening schools for 3rd term before the approved calendar for opening of School post Covid-19.

In a statement made available to Daily Times, the FCTA Acting Secretary for Education,Umaru Marafa, said proprietors who flout the provisions of the extant guidelines on the establishment and operation of Schools in the FCT will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

He however advised patients not to reminded School proprietors, parents and the general public that the directive closing all schools at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic remains until further notice which will be communicated by the Secretariat. 

Speaking further, he disclosed that the FCTA Education Secretariat has concluded plans to introduce e-learning platforms to include lessons on radio and television channels to keep the students constructively engaged while the lockdown lasts.

“It has come to the notice of the FCTA Education Secretariat that some private Schools in the FCT are disseminating information to parents and students indicating the resumption the 2019/2020 3rd term calendar online and  parents were therefore expected to pay schools fees for this term prior to the purported resumption.

“The Education Secretariat wishes to remind School proprietors, parents and the general public that the directive closing all schools at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic explicitly stated that this directive was in effect “until further notice” which implies that no academic activities in all Schools in any form shall commence until a notice to reopen is approved and conveyed by the Secretariat.

“The Implication of this is that when the Schools will be reopened, adequate notice of the fact that 2nd term was inconclusive will be factored into the academic calendar which will dovetail into the 3rd term accordingly.

Any action taken otherwise is likely to negatively distort the academic calendar of the schools involved.

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“In light of the above, any School purporting to reopen for 3rd term before the approved calendar for opening of School post Covid-19 is doing so against the provisions of the extant guidelines on the establishment and operation of Schools in the FCT.

“School proprietors are therefore, advised to maintain the status quo and keep their schools closed and not re-open in any form while they await further directives from the FCTA. Violators of this directive will face the full wrath of the law.” The statement reads.