By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
The Proprietor of Baptist Royal Academy, one of the faith based schools in Bauchi State, Rev Raphael Adetunmibi has opined that the closure of faith-based schools during the Ramadan will negatively impact on the standard of education in the state.
He was reacting to the closure of the schools across the State by the Ministry of Education for the sake of the Muslim students who will be observing the 30.days Ramadan fasting which begins on Saturday.
According to him, “Having the knowledge that the Ministry of Education has control over the private schools within the state as the Federal Government enable her, there should be consultations with the relevant stakeholders.”
He stressed that the Ministry of Education is responsible to supervise the activities of the private schools and to ensure that knowledge is rightly imparted, curriculum is appropriately followed and in fact the Ministry of Education at the state level makes policies that guide the operations of the private schools.
According to him, “In one way or the order, the Ministry of Education can make policy that will control the private schools, but must put the students into consideration, so that their performances would not be affected.”
Raphael Adetunmibi added that, “Duly established these facts, I want to suggest that the closure of the school during the Ramadan days, most especially the private school should be made optional.”
The reasons for the suggestion according to him are that It will affect the performances of the students negatively or make them to become ineffective in their performances, most especially SS3 and JSS3, who are preparing to write their SSCE and BECE examinations.
He stressed that “Ramadan fast is dynamic in nature and does not follow the Gregorian calendar as sometimes, it may be observed this year in the month of March, next year may be February and the following year may be January. If that be the case, does it mean the calendar of the activities from the Ministry of Education will also follow the root.”
The proprietor added that, “Ramadan fast is a religious exercise; it must not be enforced on other religious.”
According to him, “Making it compulsory for all schools, most especially the private schools, to close down during the Ramadan fasting where some schools are faith-based, where the numbers of Muslim students are not many, is act of denying other religious people of their freedom.”
