COVID-19: Private School Teachers Decry Closure of Schools

The coronavirus virus is a global pandemic which has affected millions of people around the world. According to Nigeria Center for Disease Control, the country has recorded its first index case of COVID-19 on the 27th of February this year through an Italian who flew in with the virus. 

In response to the pandemic, the Nigerian government announced some major steps to tackle the spread. Some of the measures included setting up a COVID-19 task force committee, the closure of schools at all levels and many other measures to contain the spread of the virus in the country.

Unfortunately, the closure of schools plunged many private school teachers into difficult economic situations.

Abubakar Salisu Isa and Zakiyu Abdullahi are among the affected teachers who have described the situation as unfortunate. Both of them are family men who depend on the job for a living. According to them, after the schools were shut, they were forced to depend on relatives and neighbours for assistance on foodstuff and financial needs.

Another private school teacher who identified herself as Bilkisu Adamu, who does not rely solely on her teaching job alone, said she was also greatly affected. She, therefore, appealed to the government to consider their hardship and reopen schools so as to save them from losing their jobs.

Commenting on this development, an educationist, Malam Isa Labaran lamented over how the COVID-19 pandemic led to the loss of jobs for teachers in private schools. 

He noted that while COVID-19 has not affected public school teachers as much, as the government has continued paying their salaries, private school teachers have been affected during this time. 

Additionally, Labaran noted that COVID-19 is adversely affecting and school curricula and learning periods for students.

The educationist, therefore, appealed to the federal government to reopen the schools so as to save private school teachers from being jobless.