Abductions: Group Raises Concern Over Govt’s Appeal For School Reopening

The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR), Oyo State branch, has expressed concern over the appeal by the Oyo State government urging the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to suspend its strike and reopen schools that were shut following the abduction of teachers and students in Oriire local government area of the state.

The group noted that while the government’s concern about the disruption of the academic calendar and the impact of school closure on students was understandable, it said that the call for reopening schools at this critical moment appears insensitive to the trauma, fear, and insecurity currently confronting teachers, students, and their families.

The group’s state coordinator, Bamigboye Abiodun, in a statement on Friday in Ibadan stated that the closure of schools had undoubtedly created challenges for students, parents and teachers.

According to him, it has no doubt affected academic activities and interrupted the normal learning process.

“However, these challenges cannot be compared with the devastating consequences that could arise if schools are reopened without adequate security arrangements as well as both physical and mental trauma the abducted teachers and students face daily in captivity.

“The preservation of human lives must take precedence over academic schedules, because no educational achievement can justify exposing children and teachers to avoidable danger,” it said.

The CDWR maintained that reopening schools under the present circumstances might amount to placing the lives of students and teachers at unnecessary risk, saying, “The government must first demonstrate that effective, practical, and verifiable security measures have been put in place across schools before any decision is taken to resume academic activities.

“The provision of textbooks, instructional materials, or financial investments in education cannot replace the lives of students and teachers who may be lost as a result of insecurity.

“No amount of educational resources, including billions of naira allocated for learning materials, can compensate for the death of another child or educator or excruciating trauma experienced in captivity.”

The CDWR, therefore, appealed to parents and guardians to view the current situation from the perspective of safety and collective responsibility.

“Although it is painful that many children are unable to attend school while some students in private institutions continue their academic activities, parents should not see teachers as the cause of the disruption.”