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Nigeria Government Calls for Reopening of Schools After 6-month COVID
Lockdown

Ifiok Ettang

   JOS, NIGERIA - Nigeria reopened schools Oct. 12, six months after they
   were closed to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. However, not all
   parents believe students should be returning to the classroom.

   Gloria Kwashi runs the Zambiri Outreach and Childcare Center in Jos, a
   school thatprovides free education and food for more than 400 children,
   including orphans and victims of insurgent violence. She says the
   pandemic brought her students' learning to a complete halt.

   "All the months that we left, nobody came to school and nobody learned
   anything, so it was already that bad," she said. "Physical contact is
   what we capitalize on. If you remove physical contact, we go back to
   zero."'¯

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