By Martin Paul
Abuja
The federal government, yesterday, directed that all public, private basic and tertiary institutions should remain open, with full academic activities, throughout the period of the 2015 polls.
Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, said the directives became imperative in view of the fact that elections would be held only at weekends.
He told newsmen in Abuja that the decision was taken after the meeting with state commissioners of education, heads of relevance departments and parastatals and other stakeholders in the system.
Shekarau noted that the school system was already in the mid of the second term, adding that the nation had already suffered lose of academic period during the Ebola disease outbreak.
“We have had elections in the past and we can understand the present circumstance, but remember that we had a loss during the Ebola outbreak and up till now, some schools are still struggling to catch up with the loses?”
Shekarau said schools with mid-term break were also directed to suspend and return to classrooms, adding that those with polling units should intensify security to safeguard properties.
On authority over private schools, the minister said the directive was for all institutions, saying that “this body approves establishment of private school, therefore they must comply and state governments must ensure they did not default.”
He said it would be irresponsible of parents, who would stop their children from going to schools, stressing that such action would amount to disruption of school calendar.
Earlier, Shekarau had said that the meeting was called in order to have a collective reasoning on the rumoured plan to shut down schools during the election periods.
“All public schools are under state governments, but we at the centre, we need to have a uniform approach, so that whatever decision would be in the interest of the students, parents and the country.”
In his remarks, the chairman of Commissioners of Education Forum, Professor Offiong O. Offiong, commended the minister for not taking a unilateral action.