By FAITH OLAOYE, HARUNA JEDIDIAH & GRACE BULUS
Public and private schools across Plateau State resumed Monday the new academic session, with teachers returning to prepare classrooms and learning environments for students amid concerns over the ongoing diphtheria outbreak.
At St Luke’s Cathedral Anglican School, Jos, the Head Teacher, Felix Oyelana, disclosed that students were yet to resume as of the time of the visit, while members of staff had returned to prepare the school environment and ensure it was safe for learning.
The head teacher said the school was taking precautions because of the ongoing diphtheria outbreak, stressing the need to provide a safe environment for students when they return.
A teacher at the school, Oluwabunmi Samuel, expressed excitement about the new session and hoped the diphtheria situation would be resolved.
“I am excellently prepared for the resumption. I expect the students to be more serious with their studies, read harder and make their parents proud,” she noted.
Samuel added that preparing for a new session came with challenges and stress, but determination was necessary, expressing hope that students would perform better academically than they did in the previous session.
Another teacher, Victor Edward, explained that teachers had undergone training to improve their performance in the new session.
“I expect students to learn new things and improve on what they were unable to learn during the previous academic session,” he said.
For the students, resumption came with excitement and expectations.
According to Christabel Ogunleye, a Primary Five pupil, she was happy to return to school and hoped to perform better.
“I want my teachers to be happy and proud of me, and I hope to perform better than I did in the previous term,” she said.
Her classmate, Nenfort Nicholas, said he was happy about returning to school but identified payment of school fees and the purchase of books as some of the challenges he faced before resumption.
Teachers, students share expectations
At Government Secondary School, West of Mines, teachers and students also returned with different expectations and concerns.
A teacher, Isuwa Musa, said he was glad about the new academic session but identified the diphtheria outbreak as one of the major challenges facing schools.
“The Ministry of Education has promised to address the situation by providing hand sanitisers, buckets for handwashing and face masks to help prevent the spread of the disease,” he said.
Musa added that he was determined to give his best in teaching to ensure students achieved excellent academic results, while urging parents to support and monitor their children at home.
Another teacher, Bitrus Nengak, identified the high cost of transportation as a major challenge for teachers travelling to school.
He urged the government to provide functional computer systems and establish a computer laboratory in the school to improve students’ access to technology and learning.
An SS3 student, Christopher Stephen, said he was unhappy with the resumption because only a few students had returned.
“I expect qualified and well-trained teachers to teach us and help us achieve better academic performance.”
Another SS3 student, Etta Hannah, said she was happy to return to school after the long vacation and felt prepared for the new session.
However, she raised concerns about the condition of the school’s toilets, saying they were inadequate and poorly structured.
She also pointed out that some chairs were damaged and sometimes caused students’ uniforms to tear.
As schools begin another academic session, teachers and students are looking forward to improved academic performance and better learning conditions, while concerns over diphtheria and other challenges continue to highlight the need to prioritise students’ health, safety and welfare.