By Faith Igbudu
As schools resume in Benue State today, government’s COVID-19 guidelines risks being flaunted, as students secretly disapprove of wearing facemask, saying it is uncomfortable.
Most schools visited showed that learners held their facemask in their hands rather than wearing it to cover their nose and mouth.
A student who spoke with The Voice on anonymous grounds said, “I know about COVID-19, I know the use of the face mask but it is very uncomfortable for me and I can tell you that it will be difficult to observe social distance because how can you keep away from friends you have not seen in a long while.”
Meanwhile, secondary and primary schools resumed with cleaning up of the classrooms and school environment for 2nd term academic session smooth take-off.
Some heads of schools who spoke to The Voice said, the turn up was quite good, especially on the part of the teachers who have resumed with optimism to do their job of teaching.
According to the Head Teacher, Sachia Emmanuel, LGEA Central Primary School, Wadata, “all the teachers have resumed. And before we closed last year, the government gave us some palliatives like sanitizers, hand-washing buckets and hand washing soap, so we are fully ready to combat the disease.”
At Padopas Harmony Secondary School, Makurdi, the Principal, Mr Natu David, said, “the resumption has been quite impressive on the part of the teachers, as they are ready to teach. However, we have recorded a low turn up of students.”
A senior teacher at Government Girls College, Makurdi, Mr Kanyi Nicholas, said, “here the students have resumed, the staff are already on ground. We are following COVID-19 protocols. There is no fear, the teachers have come in happy. Infact, the programme has started with a staff briefing.”
On the part of students,.Odeh Favour and Odee Hope of Government Girls College, expressed joy about the resumption, saying it was a long wait at home.