By Danjuma Àttah, Gombe
The Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria (CSWN) has described the closure of public and private, primary and secondary schools by some Northern States for the Muslim Ramadan fasting as an action that undermines the importance of education.
It advised that rather than complete closure of the schools, reducing the school hours would have been a better option.
It also described the action as a disturbing religious violation on adherents of other faiths in Kano, Bauchi, Kebbi and Katsina where the State Governments ordered the closure.
In a statement made available to newsmen by the Chief Executive Officer of CSW-Nigeria, Reverend (Dr) Yunusa Sabo Nmadu, it said the closures of these schools for Ramadan fasting, which include private, faith-based schools operating in a secular State, also deprive children of other faiths of the right to their educational pursuits.
It said, “CSWN views this as ill-informed, ill-advised, and an infringement of their religious rights.
“This arbitrary closure on fasting offers insight into the various forms of religious violations that Christians have been facing in certain Northern States.
“These include the forced abduction, conversion, and marriage of young Christian girls, as well as the denial of permits for Christians to establish places of worship, gain admission to tertiary institutions, and secure employment, among other issues”, it pointed out.
CSWN also descried that the closure coincides with the concerning reality that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children globally, with 66 per cent of the 18.3 million out of school in northern Nigeria.
It explained that Kano, Bauchi, Kebbi, and Katsina States rank among the States in Northern Nigeria with the highest number of out-of-school children.
CSWN therefore advised the Governors thus, “The Governors of these States should be addressing factors contributing to the large number of out-of-school children in the North.
“These include low attendance, low transition rates, high dropout rates, poor learning outcomes, and a high pupil-teacher ratio. These issues have helped perpetuate a cycle of underdevelopment and poverty that should concern everyone.
“However, reducing school hours would have been a better option than completely closing these schools for five weeks if it became necessary to create a more convenient environment for these children to fast.
“CSWN urges these State Governments to reconsider these closures. This would demonstrate their commitment to the growth of education in Northern Nigeria and be fair to everyone in their states, regardless of their religious beliefs”, it advised.
End.
