The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, says the federal government will not reopen schools in view of the rising cases of COVID-19 pandemic.
Adamu, who briefed State House reporters after the seventh virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, said schools would remain closed until it was certified that the situation was safe.
He said this was not the right time to open schools, adding that the government would not mind forfeiting the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE earlier scheduled for August 5 and September 5 in order to save the lives of students.
The minister, who said WAEC cannot determine the resumption date of schools for Nigeria, added that final year students preparing for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) will not be allowed to return to school contrary to earlier announcement.
This position countered the statement credited to the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, who had on Monday announced that the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations will take place between August and September.
This year’s examination, administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), was postponed indefinitely in April after it was earlier scheduled to commence in May.
It was postponed after schools were shut down across the country in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).