COVID-19: Kaduna schools remain shut despite FG’s directives

The  Kaduna State Government has said all schools within the state must remain closed including Federal institutions despite the fact that many schools across the country are expected to resume today Monday, 18th of January, 2021 after being shutdown for many months due to COVID-19 restrictions

The State’s Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Phoebe Sukai Yayi, disclosed this at a news briefing at the ministry on Sunday.

She said the ministry was still monitoring the COVID-19 situation and will make a pronouncement regarding the situation in due course.

According to her, the only two federal institutions that will be allowed to open on Monday, 18th of January, 2021 are Kaduna Polytechnic and National Open University who have requested from the ministry to be allowed to write examinations for their students.

The Federal Government gave a directive that all schools should resume on Monday 18th January, 2021 following the closure of schools last year due to the spread of COVID-19 in the Country.

“We want to make it categorically clear that Kaduna State is yet to fix a date for resumption to schools.

“In as much as the federal government has declared 18th January 2021 as the date for resumption Kaduna state is yet to declare a date for resumption.

“We are still monitoring the situation and we are going to make a pronouncement regarding that in due course,” she said

She said the ministry will hold a stakeholders’ engagement meeting to find out about the COVID-19 situation in the state saying from there, a position will be taken.

The Permanent Secretary further said only the National Open University and Kaduna Polytechnic have written to the ministry requesting they should be allowed to hold their examinations for their students and were given approval for that.

As for Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU), she said the ministry was yet to receive any communication from ABU and so the university must remain closed like any other schools in the state.