Ebola: Scanty classrooms as schools in Rivers reopen

Most of the Rivers State-owned pri­mary and second­ary schools were scanty, as schools in the state reopened yesterday, with parents refusing to release their children and wards for fear of the dreadful Ebola disease.
Daily Sun checks revealed that only a hand full of stu­dents were found in most of the schools, while parents and teachers lamented govern­ment’s failure to provide pre­ventive facilities as it promised to do before resumption. For example, in the state’s primary school in Azuabie, Trans-Ama­di, according to the Head Mis­tress, Lady Rose Ngeri Row­land, only 122 pupils turned out, as against an average of 390.
There were no thermome­ters for measuring temperature, no sanitizers, no buckets with head taps and other needed fa­cilities.
Two teachers, who repre­sented the school in the state-organised Ebola sensitisation exercise, said they were told the facilities would be ready before resumption and that; they should use the equipment, demonstratively, to teach other teachers and the pupils on how to prevent Ebola disease.
They said because the facili­ties were not handy, they had to “verbally and merely” admon­ish the children on personal hygiene, while adding that parents who visited the school were disappointed, when they did not see the facilities the government promised.
“We gave them a verbal lec­ture because the facilities are not available. we were told to check their temperatures and use sanitizers regularly, but there is no thermometer, no sanitizers, no hand-washing buckets with taps,” said Ibifaka Ogbo.