This was contained in a statement signed by the State Ministry of Education Information and Public Relations Officer, Jalaludeen Usman.
After shutting down schools for five weeks over the Ramadan fasting, the Bauchi State government has ordered the reopening of schools across the state.
This was contained in a statement signed by the State Ministry of Education Information and Public Relations Officer, Jalaludeen Usman.
The statement read, “The Honourable Commissioner for Education, Dr. Lawal Mohammed Rimin Zayam, wishes to remind parents and guardians that the resumption date for the continuation of the second term is Sunday, 6th April, for both day and boarding schools in Bauchi State.”
Despite shutting down schools amid protests, the Bauchi State government claims that “education was a top priority.”
“As education remains a top priority for the Bauchi State Government under the leadership of Governor Bala Mohammed, the Ministry of Education is committed to ensuring the success of all students.”
“To this end, the ministry will soon commence JAMB CBT training for all sponsored JAMB students, empowering them to excel in all examinations sponsored by the Bauchi State Government.”
“Parents and guardians are advised to ensure their wards resume on the stipulated date to avoid any disruptions to their academic progress,” the statement added.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Bauchi State government ordered the closure of schools in the state for five weeks due to Ramadan.
It was gathered that a directive by the state government had mandated schools to close from February 26, 2025, until the end of the Ramadan period and Salah celebration, with the break scheduled to end by April 5th.
According to the official academic calendar obtained by SaharaReporters, the second term of the 2024/2025 session initially began on January 5, 2025. However, the state government split the term into two phases: the first running from January 5 to February 28, followed by a five-week break from March 1 to April 5, before resuming from April 6 to April 29.
This directive, however, did not sit well with private school owners, especially those of the Christian faith, who argue that given the mixed nature of schools, the government’s order should not deprive all students of access to education.
SaharaReporters’ findings showed that in previous years, the state government had mandated school closures.
However, intervention by stakeholders in the education sector led to a policy shift, allowing schools that wished to close to do so, while those that preferred to remain open were permitted to continue operations.
“This is not the first time schools have been ordered to close. We had a similar situation before, and we set up a committee that liaised with the state education commissioner, who then relaxed the order,” a source had told SaharaReporters.
SaharaReporters reviewed data published by the National Bureau of Statistics in its Multidimensional Poverty Index.
According to the data, 74% of children in Bauchi State have failed in educational attainment, making it one of the six states with the highest number of children failing educational benchmarks.
The data from the NBS also shows that Bauchi State has the highest percentage of children deprived of education, standing at 54%. This percentage is above the national average of 34% and higher than crisis-afflicted states like Zamfara (44%) and Borno (48%).
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