Bauchi State Government has directed that all public schools in the state be closed for the purposes of the conduct of the presidential elections scheduled for this Saturday.
The directive for the closure of the schools was given on Thursday for a two-day break for all the state owned schools ahead of the series of the elections.
The State Commissioner of Education, Hajiya Jamila Dahiru, disclosed this in a news conference in Bauchi.
According to her, the state government also declared a two-day break for all the state owned schools for the Gubernatorial and the state House of Assembly elections holding on March 11.
She said that, “Students of day schools should remain at home on Friday 24 and Monday 27th February, 2023 for the presidential elections and school activities are to resume on Tuesday 28th February, 2023.”
The Commissioner added that, “For the gubernatorial elections, day students are to remain at home on Friday 10th and Monday 13th March, 2023.”
Jamila Dahiru further said that, “School activities are to resume on Tuesday 14th March, 2023 while all Boarding School students are to remain in their respective schools during the break.”
She explained that the reason for the break was to allow the teachers and the parents of the students to have proper preparations ahead of time.
She also said that the government was conscious of the fact that some of the students might be traveling with their parents to their local governments or areas of origin to cast their votes.
“We are also conscious of the fact that some of our teachers do participate in the activities of electioneering and so we want to give them the opportunity to prepare ahead,” she said.
While wishing both the teachers, parents and the students a hitch-free election, the Commissioner reiterated the state government’s commitment towards improving the students’ welfare as well as the provision of qualitative education for the betterment of the state.