Stakeholders in the education sector are worried about the effect of the EndSARS protest on sector, coming few weeks after schools started resuming following months of activity.
Some of them who spoke in Abuja expressed worry that the children were back home shortly after resumption from the Covid-19 lockdown.
They said the incessant closure of schools was hindering progress in the beleaguered sector that has been whacked by various crises.
Recall that the federal government declared a total lockdown on march 27, 2020 as part of efforts to contain the ramping Covid-19 pandemic.
During the period, schools were shut down across the country to curb spread of the virus.
However, shortly after the schools reopened, Nigerian Youths embarked on a peaceful protest over alleged brutality by the Special Anit-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
The peaceful protest was later hijacked by hoodlums who took advantage of the nationwide confusion to loot private and public property, forcing the authorities to, again, shut down schools.
National President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Mr Yomi Otubela, told News Agency of Nigeria that the looting and arson has affected the psyche of many youths which could be transferred to the learning environment.
“We condemn in totality the hoodlums who hijacked a peaceful protest, turned it to violence, looting, arson, and maiming. This is particularly bad because it has hit the psyche of the children, teachers, parents and school owners.”
He pleaded with the federal government to look into other demands of the protesters and act quickly to win the conference of the youth.
Prof. Gregory Ibe, Chancellor of Gregory University, Uturu, in Abia, said that the EndSARS protest would have been managed by the government to avoid the galling aftermath.
He said the youths who were majorly students of the tertiary institutions, used the protest to express their anger on the government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
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