Kogi State Government has directed that all primary and secondary schools in the state, whether public or private, must remain closed till October 13, 2014, as earlier announced by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Hon. (Mrs). Agnes Okai, who issued the directive said henceforth all schools must abide by school calendar provided by the Federal Government of Nigeria, warning that no private school should embark on mid-term or holiday outside the timetables stipulated for it as in public schools.
Hon. Okai said any proprietor who goes against this directive would have his school closed down for not less than six months.
The commissioner further directed that all summer classes currently organized by some private schools across the state should be put on hold till October 13, 2014.
All the tertiary institutions in the state, she said, are to suspend exchange of staff and students programmes visit and major international seminars and workshops.
The Kogi State Ministry of Education, she said, would work in collaboration with Ministry of Health and other relevant bodies to ensure that adequate sensitization and preventive measures are put in place before resumption of schools, calling on all parents to enlighten their wards on Ebola disease and also monitor their activities.
The school holidays extension, the commissioner said, is a painful decision but it was done in the best interest of the students to ensure that adequate preventive measures are taken against Ebola disease.
On lingering sit-at-home strike by primary school teachers, Hon. Okai said she has held several meetings with the Nigeria Union of Teachers and the chairman of SUBEB Interim Management Committee, assuring that the teachers were ready to resume but for the extension of schools resumption till October.
The Kogi State Government, she said, has directed the payment of the June and July salaries to teachers and commended the efforts and cooperation of NUT in the state.
Culled from The Graphic
