A Living Child Is No Failure -By Adetunji Ayobrown

‘Omo ti ko ku ko fail’, my mother’s saying. Once you’re not dead, you’ve not failed at all, but once you are, all labour lose will be the tune. Meaning when there is life, there is more than hope and sitting or writing any exam is then a possibility.

Many are victims of fate, they are trapped in the moment and their emotions are unable to see beyond their immediate. While seeing is believing, but unfortunately many cannot see most things that are real and true to life. They find it difficult to discern reality. This I consider as unfortunate. Amid the COVID-19 surge, which has not only increase but also affected by poor management of the whole situation, some can dare to ask that schools should be reopened.

A bricklayer thought he is a painter and so he wants to make livelihood out of painting it. Reopening schools may be an answer to something, but not appropriate for the Nigerian government that is looking for ways of eradicating or reducing the spread of COVID-19. The FG wants to experiment with the lives of poor Nigerians – children of the poor. Many of us feel because these decision makers do not fall in this class (of the poor and vulnerable), maybe some middle class,too, if there is anything like that again, don’t fall into that category, probably that is why they cannot appreciate why we need to take the basic minimum precaution in protecting the lives of our children.

Did this scare you too? I think it should, because many states’ CONVID-19 cases have jumped like 10-feet high as recorded and seen on the last news report aired. These increased figures of cases have become something to worry about. Imagine the statistics, over 812 doctors, nurses and other health workers are now infected, a former governor just died of its complications, that of Delta state, Okowa with wife, daughter tested positive while all the state executive members were advised to test and also isolate themselves. Ebonyi governor too is positive, in Osun, Secretary to the state Government with some of his aides and staff were allegedly dancing to Corona Virus’ tunes. Don’t forget that the Ondo governor and wife were CONVID 19 cases but the state commissioner for health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro unfortunately paid the supreme price as a result of Corona virus’ complications just as another commissioner in Plateau state and Chief of staff, to state governor, Noel Donjur were also confirmed positive. Who knows how many more of such cases are still out there undetected. Wife of Benue state governor, son, SSG and other staff too have tested positive to the virus which is already spreading like wild fire.

What is happening now can be considered to be a crash model; an experimental approach by the Federal Government that seems to be experimenting with poor Nigerian children’s lives. Opening schools without decontaminating the schools through fumigation and ensuring all preventive measures are put in place is not a good decision. A daily average of 790 was recorded last Thursday morning up till Friday and Saturday and as if these were not enough, with such figures and still counting, the fact is no right thinking parent will also his or her child go back to school. No way!

When you consider the scenario, only fools will challenge such pandemic to a battle. While school authorities are expected or ordered to prepare well for resumption on August 3, the state government which had all the months since the beginning of the pandemic seems not to be making any meaningful improvement in reducing surge of the virus.

The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on CONVID-19, Sani Aliyu, maintained that the reopening of schools for graduating pupils like Primary 6, JSS 3, SSS 3 is imperative because the examinations are set by external bodies. However, it is important to note that numbers and figures speak for themselves, new cases were listed as 626 that got got infected on Friday and 454 by Saturday and Sunday is not less but higher. But indices used by Lagos state to allow pupils in primary six, JSS3, SSS3 students to resume on August 3 is a surprise to all except the state leadership who thought getting infected with corona virus is better for its school pupils than failing or missing any promotional exams.

There is need to do the basic minimum appraisal; it is not about income for teachers, or income for workers here – it’s about what we need to do to if we must stay alive.

A living child is not yet a failure because there are opportunities for a repeat and, or taking the examinations again. Yes, we are all tired of staying at home, it is out of genuine concern to want to get our children back to school, but at what expense? Schools resumption is ill timed; even a primary school pupil know that corona virus is capable of infecting the entire family members through a single source, no allergy is needed.

While Nigerians are still contending with virus increase without a FG clear cut policy to further stop the spread, experimenting with innocents lives in the name of schools resumption is not it at all.

However, this decision is taken differently from state to state, in some other states like Ogun, where another 2-weeks extension of lock down was approved, in Lagos, schools are not resuming until sometimes in August for certain class of pupils and students.

Some exams are specific not only to Nigeria but across some parts of Africa – the WAEC exams for instance is for West African Students. In such situation, we can find a way to safely get these students to write their exams and move on without exposing our children to danger that could cost them their lives. Spillover education is not the end of their lives, because when there is live, there is hope. Going back to school is good but after the corona virus pandemic.

Demand for oxygen by COVID-19 patients has increased, Lagos state commissioner’s lamentation. Vague plans based on imaginations rather than reality, these people believe that they are in fact aware of the future but they are deluded by succumbing to their desires to what they want the future to be.

As noted earlier, Lagos state clarified that though schools would be reopened for the transitional classes on August 3, students in Senior Secondary School three and Technical School three would resume first. While pupils in primary schools and Junior Secondary School three would resume a week or two weeks after the SSS3 students’ resumption.

Though some governors asked school authorities in the transitional classes to ensure adequate preparation for resumption ahead of August 3, but many see this decision as jokes taken too far. COVID-19 increase has defied all best of preparations put in place even by our government, the last count is some states as recorded have not shown any reduction, except if their data as announced on new cases by NCDC is not true.

Imagine, Federal and state governments that could easily work on decontamination of streets and markets finding it difficult to take it upon themselves to fumigate and decontaminate schools. The question is are lives in the schools not as valuable as those working on the streets and trading in markets? Nigerians are asking questions as regards why the Federal Government is giving directive for schools to reopen across the Federation amid the coronavirus pandemic though it is saying states should take their own decisions as to when to resume, but the fact is that schools resumption could endanger the lives of not only poor Nigerian pupils but everyone they might have contact with.

When a business opens its chapter 11, bankruptcy is declared. Not just mere motion but scientific evidence, informed background sources are implying that the FG could have possibly based schools resumption decisions on the economic pressures. Containing the virus would become the major concern for parents. Without talking to parents, teachers, school owners, and psychologists, our government should not dare risk our lives.

COVID-19 will go away eventually, yes, it will go away, maybe a year or more but it’s having a significant impact on our educational programmes may be better than losing the future, Nigeria children are not to be used as guinea pigs for testing the ground.

Instead, governments at all levels, the private sector and parents should investment in educational technology which will allow learning from home, because whether we like it or not, corona virus has created a new normal in our lives. Consultation with other stakeholders to reach collective understanding is imperative, else, it will just be another wrong decision and disastrous policy by the FG.

The governments at all levels should increase number of testing capacities across the country in taking serious the new normal. Aliyu claim that ‘a large number of students that are in the exit classes need to move on’ seems not enough excuse for schools resumption.

Consciously doing what developed people will do unconsciously is not it. Nigerian Children are not guinea pigs for tests.

Let us avert disaster, staying silent may lead to unwanted deaths.