A Not-for-profit organisation, Concerned Parents and Educators, has urged the government to support online learning and allow private schools to continue to seek creative ways of engaging their students.
The CPE said this had become imperative because of the unusual time as every sector is trying to make sense of the pandemic and develop coping strategies.
Founder of the organisation, Mrs. Yinka Ogunde, stated this in a statement.
“We feel compelled to voice out our concern in view of the discordant tunes emanating from the education sector. Many government leaders in education have begun to respond to the various actions in the sector and we are worried that these responses are so varied that they may not provide enough guidance to all in the sector,” she said.
Ogunde said that the commissioner for education in Lagos State recently stated that the third term had yet to begin, but advised schools to engage with parents in order to meet two important needs, including, “Mentally engaging children to shorten the gap of learning whenever schools eventually reopen and raising funds in private schools to meet financial needs such as paying staff.
“Also, the acting Secretary for education in Abuja forbids schools re-open in any form during this period but stated plan to introduce e-learning platforms to include lessons on radio and television.
“However, while we anticipate responses from other government leaders in education, it is important to remind them of the importance of inclusive decisions.”
Ogunde wondered why the Federal Government had not considered giving bailout to private schools to enable them to pay their staff salaries, adding, “Why is anyone not listening to the cry of the sector that provides at least 35 percent of Nigerian children.”
She added that for several decades, the private education sector had effectively complemented the efforts of government in providing education for all and “this is a service that must be taken into consideration at this time and we must all work in the best interest of our children.”
The CPE founder commended the government for taking steps to ensure the safety of all children, saying, “We must wait till we get the all clear message before opening the doors of our schools.
“We, however, believe that learning must go on and must be encouraged at all levels. This does not mean that the third term must commence immediately but schools and parents who can afford the additional expenditure of online classes must not be discouraged because this is the path to the future.
“The world is being transformed and we must ensure we raise children that will understand the dynamics of this change.”
Commending the radio and television initiative of the government, she expressed hope that individual schools would also be encouraged to find ways of staying connected with their pupils or students at this time.