Kwara hijab: 10 affected schools to resume today

Kwara State government has directed the ten schools affected in the hijab controversy to resume academic activities today (Monday) in order make up for the period lost at home while the crisis lasted.

All other schools in the state are currently on holiday, and will resume on April 26, 2021.

One of the measures earlier taken by the government when the crisis ended was for the students to wait for extra hours after the normal school hours, with government providing light lunch for them and the teachers promised stipend for the extra hours.

The crisis erupted when the churches and missionary who purportedly own these schools opposed the use of Hijab in their schools as pronounced by the government that insisted that female students should be allowed to practise their religion since the schools are funded by the government.

The affected schools are C&S College Sabo Oke, ST. Anthony College, Offa Road, ECWA School, Oja Iya, Surulere Baptist Secondary School and Bishop Smith Secondary School, Agba Dam.

Others are CAC Secondary School Asa Dam, St. Barnabas Secondary School Sabo Oke, St. John School Maraba, and St. Williams Secondary School Taiwo Isale, St. James Secondary School Maraba, all in Ilorin, the state capital.

The resumption directive is contained in a press statement issued by the Permanent secretary Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs Mary Kemi Adeosun, made available to journalists in Ilorin on Sunday.

It read, ”This is to inform parents/guardians and teachers that the 2020/2021 Third Term Academic Session for the 10 schools affected in the recent hijab debate starts on Monday, 12th April 2021. “This is part of the government’s efforts to bring the students in these schools up to speed in whatever they may have missed when their schools were shut.

“This is especially necessary for students preparing for external examinations.

“The resumption date for other schools not affected by the brief closure of schools is Monday 26th, 2021, as had earlier been communicated.

“All the teachers and staff of the affected schools should resume duty and commence classes immediately.

“The Monitoring and Inspection team of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development will be going round to ascertain compliance.”