Stakeholders have expressed concern over the Government’s decision for schools to close in November, saying the move could disrupt academic activities, deny pupils effective learning and affect the next academic term.
In separate interviews with Agate Radio, they said the early closure would keep pupils at home for an extended period, inconvenience parents and potentially disrupt the next term’s academic calendar.
An educationist and former Principal of Government Secondary School, Agasha, Guma Local Government Area, Mr Jackson Msende, described the disruption of the academic calendar for political convenience as inappropriate, warning that such changes could be difficult to correct and urged political actors to conduct their activities responsibly without disrupting essential aspects of residents’ lives.
Mr Msende warned that if security concerns surrounding elections could disrupt academic activities, government should have planned ahead, informed schools and developed an alternative academic schedule and called for wider stakeholder consultation and measures to recover lost learning time.
A Teacher with a Private school in Gboko, Mrs Charity Gemanan, said her school received information about the closure after a senior staff member was sent to the Area Education Office for confirmation, saying said the directive was for schools to conclude academic activities by November thirty.
A School Proprietor at Apir, Mrs Joy Shikyaa, said although she belongs to the official platform of private school proprietors, her school had yet to receive any formal communication on the directive. She, however, expressed readiness to comply once officially notified.
Chairman of the Benue State Parents Teachers Association, Mr Godwin Agbo, acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the decision but described it as a necessary precaution, citing the tense political atmosphere and rivalry among parties, which he feared could expose innocent children to danger
According to him, increased traffic towards the end of the year, coupled with political campaigns, could make roads busier, particularly in December and urged parents to exercise greater vigilance and protect their children throughout the holiday.
When contacted, Benue State Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Dr Margaret Adamu, said the Ministry had yet to issue an official circular conveying the directive.
The Commissioner urged parents and guardians to remain calm, assuring them that the Ministry would provide updates as necessary.
