Oyo State Chapter of the National Union of Teachers, NUT, has denied a report credited to its Chairman in some section of the media that the Union is against the planned re-opening of schools.
The Secretary of the Union in the state, Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed stated this while speaking on Impact Point, a current affairs programme on IBR 92.5fm Ibadan.
According to him,”the Chairman was only quoted out of context. Our position in the NUT is that we shall engage the State government through the Commissioner for Education today or tomorrow to fashion out the modality that the resumption will take”.
OYOINSIGHT.COM reports that the Task Force Team on COVID-19 in the state had on Monday released a new guideline for the re-opening of schools and worship centers.
While worship centers were directed to open at 25 percent, students and pupils in pry 6, JSS 3 and SSS 3 have been asked to resume on June 29.
This has, however, generated reactions as many people have expressed reservation about the latest guideline especially at a time when their is a spike in coronavirus cases in the State.
When asked if Teachers in Oyo State are ready to resume work, the NUT Secretary answered in the affirmative.
Experts have expressed fear that the deadly virus has the tendency to spread faster among children and so, Comrade Abdullahi said the NUT in Oyo will engage the government on the best way to approach the matter.
“We will engage the government to see how it can assist parents in the provision of face masks for the pupils and hand-washing equipment in the schools.”
On the plight of the private school teachers, the NUT Secretary said there is nothing the Union can do as they are not part of the Nigeria Union of Teachers. He however said the NUT is engaging private school owners on the need to allow their Teachers unionize.
