Ogun State government said it granted approval for the operations of new 129 primary and 89 secondary schools in the state between January and June this year.
Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on primary and secondary education, Mrs Ronke Soyombo, and her technical and vocational education counterpart, Professor Joseph Odemuyiwa, said the approvals were given through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
The duo also said necessary measures have been put in place to ensure the reopening of schools in the state, and that the reopening of schools, which will be implemented in phases, will first consider students in terminal classes, particularly those preparing for the forthcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
They said this at the Ogun State House of Assembly complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta during the ongoing 2020 budget assessment of the ministry before members of the House Committee on Education, Science and Technology led by Hon. Adeyemi Ademuyiwa.
Measures devised by the ministry include the sinking of boreholes to supply water to the 10-point mechanised hand washing system in the 510 secondary schools, while 303 schools with adequate provisions of isolation rooms will be used for the examinations.
It was also revealed that the isolation rooms in the schools will be managed by 350 newly-trained health workers.
During their submissions before the committee, Soyombo and Professor Odemuyiwa stated that the ministry had provided a web-based system to determine the risk assessment put in place for schools, after which certificate of compliance will be subsequently issued by the ministry.
They added that no fewer than 95 blocks of classrooms had been renovated in public primary and secondary schools across the state within the period.
