NCCE Boss, Others Advocate Sick Bays In Schools

Amid growing concerns for students’ well-being, the executive secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Professor Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle and other stakeholders have stressed the need for sick bays in schools.

Okwelle made the call at an event tagged: “Train and Empower Teachers (TET), organised by the Young Communicators Initiative in Abuja yesterday.

Speaking on the theme: “Safety and Security Awareness for Educators,” Okwelle commended the organisers of the training for the teachers.

He said, “Even in our schools here in Abuja, recently we heard about a four-year-old boy that suffocated, so if the teachers are aware of the basic first aid to administer to such students, I think some of the deaths we are registering will be taken care of.

“Also, if the teachers have the safety tips and know more about what to do, they can cascade that to the wards they are teaching.

“So, if these are not set up in our schools, there is a need that every school should have a functional sick bay, and then they shouldn’t only wait when people have health issues to be attended to, they should be proactive, going on with awareness,” he said.

Also, the director of programmes, British Council Nigeria, Chikodi Onyemerela, called for expanded knowledge on health tips to other areas of life.

On her part, the convener of the Train and Empower Teachers Project, Chinenye Priscilla Anaemena, said the training was borne out of the desire to redefine the educational sector.