Kwara reopens schools shut over hijab controversy

The Kwara State Government has announced the reopening on Wednesday, March 17, 2021, of the 10 schools that were recently shut down over the hijab controversy.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs Mary Kemi Adeosun, announced this in a statement in Ilorin on Tuesday night.

The statement said, “As students resume normal classes, the government took special notice of the plight of those preparing for the West African Senior Certificate Examination and hereby directs affected schools to hold at least two-hour extra lessons for all the intending candidates after school hours daily.”

The government, according to the statement, “will provide light launch for the students until the beginning of their examinations, while teachers allotted for the extra coaching, will get stipends for their efforts.”

This, the statement explained, is to bring the students up to speed ahead of the impending external examination.

It asserted that the closure of the schools was necessary to forestall security breaches which may affect lives and properties as a result of the controversy generated by the hijab issue between Muslim and Christian communities.

“This path to mutual respect, understanding and peace with regards to hijab, had long been adopted in all of Northern Nigeria and many states in the Southwest such as Lagos, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo states.

“The government sincerely commends the Christian and Muslim leaders for their understandings and efforts to build peace within their respective communities in the past weeks,” the statement added.

It urged everyone to join hands with the government to raise a generation of school children, who would respect one another’s differences and together build a sustainable future for the State.

Warning that there will be zero tolerance for violations of anyone’s fundamental human rights under its watch, the government reminded all its employees, such as school principals and teachers in the affected schools to take special note of the policy.