The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has appealed to Kano State Schools Based Management Committees (SBMC), to acquaint themselves with the schools reopening guidelines set out by the Federal Ministry of Education.

The UN agency made the call yesterday during a one-day orientation exercise organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) on schools reopening guidelines designed to sensitise the SBMC on the guidelines in Kano.

UNICEF resource persons, Dr. Ogu Enemeka and Muntaka Mukhtar, explained the exercise was designed to broadcast guidelines for the schools reopening and to strengthen community engagement in ensuring the safe reopening of the schools.

Dr.  Enemeka appealed to the SBMC members to work towards encouraging a participatory learning process in their respective communities while Mr. Mukhtar enjoined the committees to work toward promoting good hygiene, sanitation, and adherence to COVID-19 protocols to make the school environment safe.

The state’s Chairman of the SBMC, Tijjani Haladu-Baraya, who also spoke during the exercise, said the important of the exercise was geared towards promoting community engagement in the preparations for schools reopening processes adding that the exercise was important to prevent the spread of the virus when the schools reopen.

“The orientation exercise avails the SBMC opportunity to prepare and be ready in ensuring compliance with necessary COVID-19 protocols and the guidelines set out by the Federal Ministry of Education to facilitate the safe reopening of schools.

“We want the pupils to be safe and their safety is the safety of the community because once a child is infected he will transmit it to other members of the community,” Haladu-Baraya said.