Lagos State Government on Monday says it may ask students to stay at home following the violent dimension the #EndSARS protests have assumed across the country.
Head of Public Affairs of the state Ministry of Education, Kayode Abayomi, disclosed this as academic activities were grounded in some schools in the state due to the protests.
Abayomi hinted that the Ministry of Education was awaiting a directive from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to order the closure of schools in the state.
He said, “We are considering the option of asking the students to stay at home, for now, pending when the protests will be over.
“It is at the consideration level. We are waiting for the governor’s directive in that aspect. As soon as we get the directive to go ahead, we (can) then ask them to stay at home for now.”
Lagos State Government had approved that both public and private schools in the state can fully resume from Monday, October 19, 2020.
Schools in the state were previously closed to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, who made the announcement in a press statement last Monday, said the physical resumption, which was for the 2020/2021 academic session, would include pupils in pre-primary, day care, kindergarten, and nursery schools.
On Monday, many students and teachers in the state had difficulty in getting to schools in the state.
Violence also broke out in the Yaba area of the state when some hoodlums attacked operatives of the Rapid Response Squad.
Many pupils and teachers trekked long distances to get to their schools on Monday.
This is as #EndSARS protesters mounted roadblocks in strategic locations in the state in a bid to express their displeasure.
A public school teacher, Ajeigbe K, said, “I was in school but many of my colleagues could not come; especially those from Agege, Ikorodu and Mile 12.
“A few pupils who stay close to the school came and those of us available taught them.”
A pupil of Government Technical College, Agidingbi, Olasunkanmi, added, “They (protesters) blocked the road. When I was coming from Ebute-Metta, I got vehicles in the morning, but I was stranded when I was returning home. The transport fares also increased so I went to stay with my sister that stays around my school.”