Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau reopen schools after six months


Devdiscourse News Desk | Freetown | Updated: 06-10-2020 13:43 IST | Created: 06-10-2020 13:43 IST
Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau reopen schools after six months
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  • Country:
  • Sierra Leone

Schools in Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau reopened after six months on October 5, as parents weighed whether it was safe for children to resume classes, according to a news report by The Standard.

Schools shuttered in both poor West African nations in March. The school shutdown affected nearly three million children in Sierra Leone.

Face masks and handwashing have been made compulsory in schools across the country, where 2,269 coronavirus cases with 72 deaths have been officially registered.

"The normal school assembly has been suspended to reduce the gathering of school children and we encourage our pupils -- if they feel sick -- they should stay home or visit the nearest health center," said Florence Koymebeh, principal of the Freetown Secondary School for Girls.

"We are monitoring all schools for the adherence of the coronavirus regulations in schools," Education Minister David Moinina Sengeh said.

"We have provided buckets and soap to all schools across the country, school authorities are expected to provide water for the handwashing facilities," he added.

Sierra Leone boasts huge mineral and diamond deposits, but it remains one of the world's poorest nations, still recovering from decades of war and disease. 

In nearby Guinea-Bissau, schools also reopened on Monday after closing in March, the education ministry said.

"The students turned up in large numbers this morning wearing masks. There are hand washing facilities throughout the school and buckets of water have been placed in front of the classrooms," said Idrissa Cassama, principal of the Kwame Nkrumah high school in the capital Bissau.

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