Amidst the debate surrounding four northern states’ decision to close schools for Ramadan, a National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data analysis reveals that these states have some of the highest rates of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
According to the NBS’s Multidimensional Poverty Index, the states in question—Katsina, Kebbi, Kano, and Bauchi—exceed the national average for children deprived of school attendance. Bauchi State tops the list with 54%, followed by Kano State at 35%, Katsina at 38%, and Kebbi at 45%
These findings shows the educational inequality present in these northern states and raise concerns about the potential impact of extended school closures on the already disadvantaged children in these regions.
This decision had made the Take It Back Movement, Bauchi State Chapter, condemned the Bauchi State Government’s decision to close schools for five weeks in observance of Ramadan.
In a press statement, the Movement’s Coordinator in Bauchi state, Nazif Muhammed Nuhu, expressed concern over the impact of this blanket closure on students of other religions, who will be forced to sacrifice valuable academic time, “The Take it Back Movement, Bauchi State Chapter, strongly condemns the recent decision by the Bauchi State Government to close schools for five weeks in observance of Ramadan.
“While we respect the rights of Muslims to observe their faith, we believe that this blanket closure unfairly penalizes students, particularly those of other religions, who will be forced to sacrifice valuable academic time.”
Demanding that the Governor reconsider the decision, Nazif emphasized the Nigerian constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom and the need to protect students’ academic progress, “the Governor must reconsider this decision, as the Nigerian constitution guarantees religious freedom, and ensure that students’ academic progress is not unnecessarily disrupted.
“It is crucial to promote peaceful coexistence and mutual respect among individuals of different faiths, and this requires considering the needs of all students.”
“Bauchi State Government must also prioritize education and well-being of all students, irrespective of their religious affiliation, and make decisions that are inclusive and fair for everyone.”
Several reports had earlier revealed that the Bauchi State government had ordered the closure of schools for five weeks due to the Ramadan period.
According to the directive, schools will be closed from February 26, 2025, until the end of Ramadan and the Salah celebration, with classes set to resume on April 5.
The official academic calendar shows that the second term of the 2024/2025 session began on January 5, 2025. However, the state government divided the term into two phases: the first from January 5 to February 28, followed by a five-week break from March 1 to April 5, and classes resuming from April 6 to April 29.
However, this directive has not been well received by private school owners, particularly those of Christian faith, who argue that due to the diverse student population, the government’s order should not deny all students access to education.
SaharaReporters’ findings revealed that in previous years, the state government also mandated school closures.
However, after interventions from education sector stakeholders, the government allowed schools to decide for themselves—permitting those that wished to close to do so, while others were allowed to remain open.
“This is not the first time the school will be ordered to close, we have had such case before and we set up a committee that liaised with the state education commissioner, who relaxed the order,” a source told SaharaReporters.
However, it was learned that the state government took a different approach this time, insisting that all schools must close during the Ramadan fasting period.
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