The news headlines are as confusing as the policy itself: “Use of Hijab/Beret in Schools: Kwara Govt Insists its Optional”; “We Will Not Allow Hijab in
Kwara Hijab Controversy: 10 affected schools to resume Monday
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By Demola Akinyemi – Ilorin
Kwara state government has directed the ten affected Christian named schools, in Hijab controversy, to resume academic activities Monday in order make up for the period they stayed at home while the crisis lasted.
All other schools across the state are currently on holiday, and will resume on April 26, 2021.
Among other measures earlier taken by the government when the crisis ended was for the students to wait for extra hours after the normal school hours, with government providing light lunch for them,while the teachers too were promised stipend for the extra hours.
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The Kwara State Government has announced that the 10 schools involved in a recent hijab controversy in the state would resume their third term academic session on Monday, April 12.
A statement by Kemi Adeosun, Permanent Secretary, Kwara Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, on Sunday, said the decision was to enable students in the schools to make up for lost time.
Other schools in the state will resume on April 26.
The 10 Kwara schools involved in the controversy were shut down by the state government on February 19 for safety reasons.
”This is to inform parents/guardians and teachers that the 2020/2021 Third Term Academic Session for the 10 schools affected in the recent hijab debate starts on Monday, April 12.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the schools were closed on Feb. 19 over misunderstanding in the usage of Hijab (Islamic female veil) in public schools.
The government set up a committee to resolve the dispute and later asked the schools to resume on March 8 with willing female students allowed to use the Hijab.
The government, however, rescinded its decision to reopen the schools over safety concerns as some christians were averse to the decision.
This led to the continuous closure of the schools until when the government announced the reopening in the wee hours of Wednesday (March 17).
NAN reports that it violence was recorded at Surulere Baptist Secondary School where Christians were singing gospel songs while Muslims were also chanting Arabic songs.