Covid-19 Lockdown: Proprietress introduces online tutorial for pupils, gives palliatives to community
Covid-19 Lockdown: Proprietress introduces online tutorial for pupils, gives palliatives to community
Tutorial
By Gbenga Dada
Lagos, April 11, 2020 (NAN) The Proprietress, Simic Group of Schools, Dr Cecilia Okachi, says the management has introduced an online distance learning tutorial method for students preparing for the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) in Junior andSenior Secondary classes.
The proprietress, told the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday that the programme was to keep the students busy at this period of stay-at-home order by the government as part of measures to curtail the Coronavirus pandemic spread.
NAN reports that the school is located around a Lagos suburb, Abaranje, in Ikotun.
She said, “The initiative became necessary as the lockdown persists. We decided to introduce the online distance learning as part of our school’s response to the Covid-19 awareness on keeping the social distancing mechanism.
“Also during this lockdown period, I want the relationship between me and my students to remain very cordial and grounded. Right now, learning is ongoing as we are observing the lockdown and also the Easter celebration.
“We contact our students preparing for WAEC and engage them with their various subjects teachers like Mathematics, English Language, Economics, Civic Education, Physics and Chemistry, among others everyday.”
“The social media learning platform is created via whatsapp group and accommodates the various classes in the learning method.
“We don’t want our pupils to get engage in games and other vices because when you live the children for too long, they forget what they have been taught in school.
“We have, therefore, resolved to follow up on our pupils and give comments with recommendation between the teachers and pupils with strict compliance.
“We also maintain a cordial relationship with their parents to know how their wards are faring through phone calls, text messages and other possible means of communication.”
The school proprietress said that the method had been helpful, attributing it to her love for children, adding: “I feel that no child should be on the road or be out of school on a flimsy excuses”.
On the lockdown, she said that “we are all affected economically, but there is nothing we can do than to abide by the government’s directive because it is for the good of all of us.
She, therefore urged all parents and the students to remain indoors to avoid further spread of the Coronavirus.
“We as a school commend the efforts of the federal and state governments, particularly that of the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu at containing the pandemic.
“As part of our own Corporate Social Responsibility, we have distributed relief packages like rice, Indomie noodles and vegetable oil, among several others to about 100 pupils that are on scholarship in our schools.
“We reached out to them through their guardians with the palliative packages, and also to indigent people in our immediate community because we believe that government alone cannot do it all.
NAN reports that the proprietress was a teacher for over thirty years. Although running a school is challenging but she derives pleasure in it. (NAN)
GJD/KOLE/PDE
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(Edited by Remi Koleoso/Peter Ejiofor)