COVID-19 pandemic took the world by surprise and changes a lot of norms. The pandemic hugely affected our ways of life and forced us to adjust our lives fit into a new normal. One of the sector badly hit by the pandemic is the education sector. In other to prevent wide transmission education system was grounded to a large extent.

However, due to development of COVID-19 vaccine and huge reduction in spike of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Center for Diseases Control (CDC) have all indicated that schools can be reopen for physical education.

However, the excitement that ought to follow school reopening was limited by students, teachers, caregivers and parents anxiety. They have tension about how to properly prepare for school reopening and effectively transition back to normal.

Not to worry this article will highlight the various steps students, teachers, caregivers and parents can take prepare for school reopening and get back to normal. These steps include:

1. Compulsory Sanitation of Campus

Adequate preparations must be made by schools to thoroughly sanitize the school grounds before the students reach the class and on weekends. This ensures a sterile and hygienic space for all the students, educators, visitors and school staff.

2. Consumption of Vitamins

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that vitamins and minerals consumption to boost immunity. Therefore, school authorities should work with  students, parents and other relevant stakeholders to sensitize the about the importance of vitamin Vitamin C, Zinc, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, and other supplements intake as students return back to school.

3. Regular Thermo Scanning 

Schools should ensure staff, teacher, students caregivers and visitors get thermo-scanned  before gaining entrance to the school and at regular intervals when inside the school. This is help discover any one at risk of COVID-19 and quarantine them immediately.

4. Conducive Staggered Classes

Social distance is one of the most viable preventive step against COVID-19. So, classes can be conducted in full capacity like before. Students must stand/sit at least 2-3 meter away from other students, and to provide such an environment, the schools should strategically work on creating a more robust time-table that is inclusive of choices of students who wish to opt for online classes.

5. Address Student And Parents Fear

Though most parents and students are happy about school reopening, they’re still afraid of contracting the virus at school. Thus, come up with plans and strategies to allay these fears from time to time.

6. Mandatory Wearing of Facemask and Gloves

The hand is the easiest pathway for germs or virus to get into humans body. As such proper steps need to be taken to prevent this from happening. Facemask and glove wearing should be made compulsory to prevent COVID-19 spread in the school. 7. Provision of Hand Sanitizing Pump in Schools

After schools have provided a sanitized environment, it is also expedient to install alcohol based hand sanitizing pump at strategic places in school. This will allow students, teachers, visitors among other sanitize their hands at regular intervals.

Finally, individually we should get acquainted with all COVID-19 preventive measures and properly observe them regularly. Proper transition back to normal requires the collaborative efforts of all education stakeholders.