The Kwara State government has directed the reopening of the Oyun Baptist High School Ijagbo from Friday, June 3, 2022.
The school was closed down following the outbreak of violence in Ijagbo over hijab wearing by female Muslim students.
A statement by the permanent secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, directed all teachers and students to return to their classrooms while the government’s white paper committee continues the efforts to address pending issues related to the disturbance in the public school.
The statement reads, “restates government’s position that any Muslim schoolgirl who desires to wear the hijab is allowed to do so in all public schools, including in Oyun Baptist High School Ijagbo, which is owned by the State Government and run with public resources.”
It added that the ministry’s decision to reopen the school was one of the government’s multi-pronged approaches to return normalcy to the school.
“All stakeholders in the area are urged to give peace a chance and to respect the law. The government will not hesitate to shut the school again, among other things, if anything threatens the safety of the little children.
“The ministry welcomes all our students back to school, and urges them to maximise their time in the classrooms, while relevant authorities also help them to fill any gaps,” it added.
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