Niger set to reopen 11 public schools shut since 2021
Niger state government said it has concluded plans to reopen the 11 out of the 42 public schools shut across the state as a result of insecurity and banditry.
The state government had earlier shut the 42 schools in 2021 at the peak of frequent invasion of some boarding schools across the state but later reopened some and shut the 11 which were more prone to the insecurity.
Most affected were female students across the state especially the kidnap of 99 girls from Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School, Tegina in Rafi local government area.
Despite all steps taken to secure their release by the state government, local government and the communities involved, the students who were mostly female and kids spent almost 90 days in the den of the kidnappers.
Some of the schools to be reopened are located in Wushishi, Lavun and Gurara local government areas of the state.
The Commissioner for the state Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Hajia Hadiza Asabe Mohammed who held an emergency meeting with major stakeholders in the education sector over the decision in Minna, said the decision to reopen the schools was as a result of improvement in the security in the affected communities.
“Indexing of students will now be initiated right from the Early Child Education (ECCDE) class to Senior Secondary class (SSS) and Early Child Care Department Education has been made compulsory as no child will be admitted into primary class without undergoing ECCDE.
“In addition, the Ministry has also concluded plans to establish Quality Assurance Offices in all the 25 local government areas in the state and also provide them with adequate teaching and learning materials and indiscipline either by the students or teachers will not be tolerated”
The Commissioner also declared,” there will be sanctions for principals who indulge in the collection of unnecessary fees from students as the ministry is looking at ways of improving feeding of boarding school students across the state for effective learning.”
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