The government of Bauchi State has declared all academic activities come to a stop starting from the 26th of February to allow for wholesome participation in and observance of the Ramadan fast.
The five-week compulsory break affecting nursery, primary, and secondary schools in the state has generated buzz among educational facilitators and non-Muslim private school owners.
The issued directive spells out that schools will shut down from February 26, 2025, and resume on April 5, following the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations. Meanwhile, Christian faith-based schools have argued that the decision of the state government will disrupt the academic calendar of the year and affect students preparing for external examinations like WAEC, NECO, and JAMB.
On this ground, the Bauchi State government insists that the decision was made after consultations with stakeholders, including religious leaders, and that the break will commence without adjustment.
In an attempt to fight for their rights, the coalition of Christian faith-based schools has stood in opposition to the state’s government directive, citing concerns over disrupted academic calendar and the potential setback it will have on the moral compass and educational preparedness of the students in the state. In a letter to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the group, headed by the former Chairman of Private School Owners in Bauchi, Musa Bogoro Zakka, called for intervention.
โThe proposed calendar will surely damage the morals of students who are expected to return and start writing examinations,โ the letter stated.
The group also gives hindsight to the fact that the closure could lead to religious loggerheads, as it forces all students, regardless of their religious choices, to comply with a Ramadan-related break.
Despite the claims of the Bauchi State government that necessary bodies like CAN were duly consulted during the planning process before the compulsory break was imposed, Abraham Damina, the CAN chairman in Bauchi, has denied the allegations that he was consulted and that his consent given.
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