By OUR REPORTER
Kwara State Government has directed immediate temporary closure of some grant-aided schools in Ilorin, the state capital, pending resolution of the hijaab question in the schools.
This was contained in a statement by Mrs Mary Kemi Adeosun, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, issued on Friday February 19, 2021.
The affected schools, according to Adeosun, are: 1. C&S College Sabo Oke; 2. ST. Anthony College, Offa Road; 3. ECWA School, Oja Iya; 4. Surulere Baptist Secondary School; 5. Bishop Smith Secondary School, Agba Dam; 6. CAC Secondary School Asa Dam; 7. St. Barnabas Secondary School Sabo Oke; 8. St. John School Maraba; 9. St. Williams Secondary School Taiwo Isale and 10. St. James Secondary School Maraba.
“The closure comes as a government committee comprising representatives of the Muslim and Christian communities meets today to iron out the differences between the two communities.
“Further communication will be issued to inform members of the public on the development.
“Government calls for calm and urges parents and religious leaders to avoid actions or comments that may further split the two communities,” said the Permanent Secretary.
“The closure comes as a government committee comprising representatives of the Muslim and Christian communities meets on Friday to iron out the differences between the two religious communities.
“Government calls for calm and urges parents and religious leaders to avoid actions or comments that may further split the two communities,’’ Adeosun stated.
A media report has it that the ban on use of Hijab by Muslim students in some Christian secondary schools in Kwara has dominated public discourse lately across the state.
With the lockout of some students wearing Hijab in affected schools, the discourse has been generating controversies and heated debates.
Some of our respondents described the ban on Hijab by any school, under whatever disguise, would be affront to the predominantly Islamic nature of Kwara State as, they said, the state will be only place the anti-hijab tendency in the South West would be spread and that the government has done well by refusing politicisation to hold it back from taking action.
