From Iniabasi Billie, Uyo
Proprietors of Private Schools in Akwa Ibom State have opposed the COVID-19 guidelines set by the State Government for schools to reopen.
The Chairman, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Mr Udofia Davies, said the conditions of government in that regard was tough and difficult to comply with.
Speaking on Sunday in Uyo, Udofia listed the 12 conditions to include procurement of Temperature Testing Machines in all the schools, Preparation of Isolation centers, Fumigation of school premises, and provision of hand sanitizers among others.
He stated that schools were closed in March on the eve of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, while pupils and students were sent home, wondering who would have contaminated the school compounds for fumigation to be a prerequisite for reopening.
Expressing fear that most of the private schools would not be able to reopen as the conditions stipulated by the government for reopening required a substantial amount of money to put the requirements in place, he noted that the schools have not generated income for four months.
“We have been at home for four months now unlike the public schools that whether you go to work or not the government pays them.
“We have not gotten money for four months now and it becomes very difficult for most of the teachers. We are not afraid to say that by the time we resume we must have lost some of our best hands in private schools.
“With what is happening now, we are afraid whether it would be possible for most private schools to reopen. This is because we need to put a lot of things in place.
“Yesterday, in a stakeholders meeting with the Commissioner for Education, we were asked to do so many things. One of those was to get Temperature testing machines at the entrance of the schools before resumption. Where do we have money to buy these things?
“Again, we are asked to fumigate our schools, where is the money? Remember we have closed for 4 months now,” he stated.
The Chairman of NAPPS complained of the over taxation of private schools by the government and appealed to Governor Udom Emmanuel to extend the COVID-19 tax holiday to private schools in the state.
He said, “Right now private schools are multi-taxed. We pay for renewal of operational licences yearly. Private Polytechnics and Universities don’t renew their license annually. But for Private Nursery , Primary and Secondary Schools, we renew every year.
“We pay to Ministry of Education, Internal Revenue Service, Sanitation Agency, PAYEE, Ministry of Environment, Local Government and even stickers for our buses. Please tell Governor Udom Emmanuel to help us”.
The Akwa Ibom State Government has on Friday last week announced the compulsory use of face masks in schools and urged parents and guardians to provide the item as part of the school uniforms for their children.
The government said the measure was aimed at reducing the possibility of community spread of coronavirus in schools.
