Kwara govt shuts schools over students unrest
Kwara State government has ordered the immediate closure of Government High School and Government Day Secondary School, Adeta, Ilorin, following repeated incidents of student unrest.
This action comes after violent clashes between students, disruption of academic activities, and vandalism of school property within the two institutions.
Confirming the closure on Wednesday, the education commissioner, Lawal Olohungbebe, said the decision was necessary to restore order and ensure safety.
He explained that only students currently sitting the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations and their teachers would be permitted on school premises during the exam period.
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Olohungbebe further directed that all SSSCE candidates must wear their school identification cards to gain entry into the compound.
He urged parents and guardians to ensure their children stay at home, warning them that security officers would apprehend any student flouting the directive.
The government reiterated its commitment to maintaining discipline and safety across all public schools in the state.
Historically, students in Kwara schools are known for violence.
For example, the Kwara State College of Education in Ilorin was shut down by the government for five weeks against the backdrop of a protest embarked upon by students of the institution. Authorities of the college had closed the institution indefinitely on October 19, 2022, following protests by students who were displeased with plans to disallow those who had defaulted in school fees payment from participating in semester examinations scheduled to commence that day. Scores of defaulting students were alleged to have gone on a rampage, destroying and damaging property. The government considered the student action unnecessary and closed the academic session to hinder the possible degeneration of the crisis. The college was later reopened following interventions by relevant stakeholders.
Also, Oyun Baptist High School (OBHS) in Ijagbo was shut down by the state government following violence that broke out during a protest led by Muslims over a move by the school administration to ban students from wearing hijab on February 3, 2022. The resulting violence led to the death of a resident and injuries to others. The school remained shut for over two months after the incident.
The hijab crisis has a longer history in Kwara State, dating back to 2012 concerning the use of hijab in Christian mission schools taken over by the government. In February 2021, the Kwara government ordered the closure of 10 schools over the controversy, including C&S College, Sabo-Oke; St. Anthony’s Secondary School, Offa road; ECWA School, Oja Iya; Surulere Baptist Secondary School; Bishop Smith Secondary School, Agba Dam; CAC Secondary School, Asa Dam road; St. Barnabas Secondary School, Sabo-Oke; St. John School, Maraba; St. Williams Secondary School, Taiwo Isale; and St. James Secondary School, Maraba. These schools were temporarily reopened and then closed again before being ordered to reopen in April 2021.
