Africa Press-Nigeria:
Stakeholders in the education sector say they are worried about the effect of the #EndSARS protest on the sector, coming few weeks after schools started resuming following months of inactivity.
Some of them, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, expressed worry that the children were back home shortly after resumption from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) era.
They said that the incessant closure of schools was hindering progress in the beleaguered sector that had been whacked by various crises.
NAN recalls that the Federal Government declared a total lockdown on March 27, as part of efforts to contain the ramping COVID-19 pandemic.
During the period, schools were shut down across the country to curb the spread of the virus.
However, shortly after the schools reopened, Nigerian youth embarked on a peaceful protest over alleged brutality by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
The peaceful protest was later hijacked by hoodlums who took advantage of the nationwide confusion to loot private and public property, forcing the authorities to, again, shut down schools.
Mr. Yomi Otubela, National President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) told NAN that the looting and arson had affected the psyche of many youths which could be transferred to the learning environment.
“We condemn in totality the hoodlums who hijacked a peaceful protest, turned it to violence, looting, arson, and maiming. This is particularly bad because it has hit the psyche of the children, teachers, parents, and school owners.
“The traumatic experience is left with us and the effect will affect the mindset of stakeholders. This is already leading to depression among people in the education sector.
“We are just coming out of the COVID-19 lockdown where we faced lots of psychological challenges. We were yet to come out of that when another confusion set in.
“The videos, pictures as well as news in the new and traditional media have sent more panic to all stakeholders in the education sector comprising students, parents, teachers and school owners.
“When schools resume, we shall be confronted with combating depression because it has sunk deep into the psyche of everyone already,” the NAPPS president said.
Otubela said that the association welcomed the Police reforms which was the initial agitation of the youths, and called for a conducive environment for all Nigerians to operate freely.
He pleaded with the federal government to look into other demands of the protesters and act quickly to win the conference of the youth.
He also advised the government to assist private schools to engage experts in psychology who could work to win the mindset of stakeholders to restore stability and confidence in the system.
“Beyond close down of schools, we have so many psychological issues to tackle to get stakeholders back to normal shape.
“Businesses of some parents have been affected and it will further worsen their economic power to provide for their children.
“Teachers are also human beings. The gory experience they were exposed to, will affect their psyche and if we don’t address this on time, it can be transferred to how they manage the children.
“The children have also been exposed to violence, killing, maiming and looting. The aftermath can better be imagined, so we have a lot of issues to manage and it is a great setback for the education sector,” he lamented.
Otubela advised the government to engage the youth leaders who would, in turn, reach out to others in the communities, sensitise them and calm the tension.
Prof. Gregory Ibe, Chairman, Proprietors of Private University in Nigeria, also told NAN that the pandemic and the protest have altered the school calendar, with nine months lost so far.
Ibe, also the Chancellor, Gregory University, Uturu, in Abia, said that the EndSARS protest would have been managed by the government to avoid the galling aftermath.
He said that the youths, who were majorly students of tertiary institutions, used the protest to express their anger on the government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
