Northern CAN kicks against school closure for observance of Ramadan, points Bauchi, other governors to Saudi Arabia with undisrupted schooling during fast

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has advised the four northern states that closed schools for observance of Ramadan fast to rethink their position.

 

Governors of Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, and Kebbi states closed schools in their respective domains for five weeks, despite upcoming national examinations including UTME, WAEC and NECO.

 

A statement by CAN chairman for the 19 Northern States and the FCT, Rev John Joseph Hayab warned of the consequences of shutting schools for five weeks, especially as the affected states have poor showing in school enrolments.

 

Hayab, in the statement, appealed to the governors that instead of closing the schools, school hours could be cut, arguing that even in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, schools are open during the Ramadan fast.

 

 

The statement reads: “The attention of CAN 19 Northern States and the FCT has been drawn to the directives to close public and private schools in Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, and Kebbi States for five weeks for the Ramadan fast.

 

“Indisputably, CAN in the 19 Northern States and the FCT respect our region’s religious diversity and support the observance of the fast; however, we call for a deep reflection.

 

“CAN, in the 19 Northern States and the FCT are worried about the school closure given the drawbacks in school life faced by children in most northern states triggered by rising insecurities, which have obstructed the education of our wards; the closure of schools for five weeks is not only faultily timed, but the impact of the schools’ closure could further be a setback for the education of the young persons in the region.

 

“Manifestly, the closure of schools can negatively impact senior secondary students who are preparing to sit for the exams organized by the Joint Matriculation Examination Board. The same also applies to junior students who sit for the Junior Secondary Schools exams. Given that children are not likely to study at home as they would at school, the closure could cause massive failure, ultimately reducing the chances of kids from the north scoring the required points to be admitted into tertiary institutions by October 2025.

 

“The other anxiety is that some of the children asked to stay at home are under the age of 14 and, as such, may not even be religiously mature enough to observe the fast. Moreover, the recent Multidimensional Poverty Index given by the National Bureau for Statistics puts Bauchi State at 54% of children lacking access to education, with Kebbi State next at 45%. In comparison, Katsina has 38%, and Kano trails at 35%.

 

“As a people, CAN, in the 19 Northern States and the FCT wish to remind our people that as no examination in Nigeria is regional, by closing schools in some northern states, the prevailing gaps in the education performance table in most northern states could widened, and that would further take us down the ladder of progress.

 

“Meanwhile, from a global perspective, CAN in the 19 Northern States and the FCT observe that in places such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where Islam is the principal faith, even as we speak schools remain open during Ramadan, matching education with spiritual practice. Consequently, CAN in the 19 Northern States and the FCT call on the states that have announced closures to copy from the Arab nations and do what is necessary to protect our kids from losing out to be at parity with their peers in other parts of Nigeria and beyond.

 

“What is more, the governments did not appear to have engaged in open and inclusive dialogue with educators, parents, religious leaders, and school owners, therefore violating the rights of others who may hold a different opinion on closing schools in the façade of observing the Ramadan fast. Now, in the event that schools would be closed in observance of the Lent Season in Christendom, it implies that schoolchildren could remain at home for over two months, a step that would not augur well for educational growth in the region, jeopardizing the fortunes of the states to improve access to quality education, especially for children in public schools.

 

“On the strength of the above facts, the leadership of CAN 19 Northern States and the FCT views the move to close schools during Ramadan as misjudged and admonishes the affected states that the best approach could be to cut the school hours, say from morning to noon time, to permit school administrators and teachers as well as students who are of age to observe the fast to have some time but not total closure as the current move could weaken the prospects of delivering quality education for all in the region.

 

“CAN in the 19 Northern states has consulted with prominent Islamic scholars and from their explanation we realize that the decisions of those Governors could just be political expediency and not backed by any Islamic teaching.

 

“CAN Northern Nigeria therefore wishes to appeal to the Governors of Northern Nigeria especially those who are championing this kind of ill-advice idea to stop presenting our region in bad light and make people to laugh at us as if we are unserious people.

 

“As peace-loving people, CAN in the 19 Northern States and Abuja in solidarity with the statement released by the National President of CAN yesterday on this subject matter are calling on the people to remain calm and law-abiding and challenge stakeholders and well-meaning Nigerians to address the matter most amicably.”