The Commissioner for Primary and Basic Education in Lagos State, Hon. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, has announced that not all primary and secondary schools in the state may resume from the current mid-term cum Sallah break due to the cholera outbreak in some areas.
The decision to resume schools will be based on an advisory from the Ministry of Health, which is currently assessing the situation and mapping out affected areas.
“Later today (Tuesday) we will come out with the position of the government on the issue. If schools everywhere in the state are free to resume, no problem. The state government is not resting on its oars and has been taking steps to curb the outbreak of the disease,” he stated.
Alli-Balogun added that the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been investing heavily in education and would not allow anything to rubbish the efforts.
Recall that students in public and private schools in the state have been on break for one and a half weeks. The first week was for the mid-term break and the first two days of this week were public holidays for the Sallah festivities.
“While the Ministry of Education has taken necessary steps and is prepared for resumption, the safety of students is a top priority, and the government will not endanger their lives.”
The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has also warned that the cholera outbreak could spread to schools and has called for extensive measures to protect schoolchildren
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Lagos State is one of the ten states with the highest number of cholera cases, and the government is working to prevent the spread of the disease.
On Lagos Island particularly, which is also a densely populated area, residents are complaining about the dearth of potable water to use for personal and household chores.