The Kano state government says it has no plans to reopen schools unless and until the Federal Government gives directives to that effect.
The state stated this in reaction to news circulating in the social media that it has set up a committee to consider the re-opening of schools and described the story as ‘fake news.’
A press statement signed by Aliyu Yusuf, Chief Press Secretary
The Ministry of Education and sent to ALSC, said the state, like others, received a document from the Federal Ministry of Education containing proposed guidelines to be put in place whenever it is appropriate to re-open schools which the ministry of education was asked to review and give input.
The statement said-“It was in the course of the review of the documents that the State Ministry of Education constituted an Ad-hoc Committee to undertake the assignment which on completion would be transmitted back to FMOE.
“The Ministry also wishes to debunk a widely circulated rumour that a directive was issued to private schools to suspend online lessons for their students. This news is equally untrue as even the State government is conducting similar programmes through radio and television stations.
“The Ministry specifically directed all Private Schools in the state to desist from conducting assessment tests and examinations online as the government had already suspended the second term academic activities especially test and conduct of examinations. A circular had been widely circulated to that effect.
“However, we reliably gathered that some schools operating within the state refused to adhere to the content of the circular under reference and were conducting various forms of assessment of their students under the cover of the online classes to the extent of collecting 3rd term school fees from parents. Some of these schools went as far as collecting a huge amount of money as cost of data and the online classes. This is in clear violation of the directive given by the Kano State Government.
It is to be noted that the Ministry has compiled evidence of such violations of the directive by these schools and would soon invite them for proper disciplinary action as no one is above the law as far as this matter is concerned.
“The general public should therefore disregard any misleading information propagated by some unpatriotic elements who are desperate in causing confusion in the state education sector for their selfish intention,” it stated.