Lagos State government on Thursday revealed plans on how schools in the state will be reopened amid the coronavirus pandemic. Schools in the state have been closed since April as part of measures to limit the spread of the virus.

Tokunbo Wahab, Special Adviser on Education to Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily said the reopening will be in phases.

“Not all the pupils in the state will be allowed to resume at the same time. Resumption will be phased to the extent that on the 21st we will not open our primary schools yet.”

Wahab said the phased resumption is necessary to flatten the curve and gradually integrate the pupils back to the normal school process.

“From next week, we will start a phased reopening of our tertiary institutions. On the 14th we announced that tertiary institutions will reopen for the first time after six months of closure. Within the six months the students were receiving lecturers online.

“We are going to start with final year students across our tertiary institutions. Then after their exams, those in their penultimate year can resume,” Wahab said.

The final year students of tertiary institutions will be the first set of pupils to resume in the state because according to the governor’s special adviser, “they are older and more matured.”

Secondary school students will also have a phased resumption from September 21. Senior Secondary school three (SS3) students are going to finish their exams upon resumption.

Parents have been informed and are advised to cooperate with the state government.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had earlier announced the reopening of schools

“I am pleased to announce that our tertiary institutions will be allowed to reopen from September 14, 2020, all our tertiary institutions,” the governor had said, adding that secondary and primary schools would resume a week after.