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Stakeholders condemn recurring third term breach in Kano

By Murtala Muhammed
23 June 2016   |   1:40 am
Dr. Abubakar Sodiq Haruna, views the development as a policy somersault that is capable of seriously diluting the quality of education.    
PHOTO: easyhometutor.com

PHOTO: easyhometutor.com

As Peeved by the imminent end to the 2016/2017 academic session occasioned by the state government’s decision to terminate the ongoing third term on July 1st, 2016, stakeholders in the sector including parents have condemned the government’s position, describing it as a deliberate move to crash the standard of education in the state.

Also, Dr. Abubakar Sodiq Haruna of the Federal College of Education, Kano State, Dr. Abubakar Sodiq Haruna, views the development as a policy somersault that is capable of seriously diluting the quality of education.

The state Ministry of Education recently instructed all schools to close shop on July 1st, and return for a new academic session expected to begin on September 19th, 2016.

A memo signed by the Director of Administration, Kano State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board titled, “Adjustment of 2015/2016 school calendar,” directed public and private schools to round up the third term of the ongoing academic session on or before 1st July, 2016 and reopen for first term of the 2016/2017 academic session on September 19th, 2016.

As a result of the directive, most pupils in the state may not be opportune to complete the minimum 12 weeks period, a routine structural plan for termly academic calendar, which students across the country enjoy.

By this development, the third term of the 2015/2016 academic session is reduced by four weeks. Apart from limiting pupils from covering the required context and content of the third term curriculum, the students would be compelled to spend two months and 18 days on compulsory holiday.

However, pupils in the state are not alien to such alteration in the academic calendar as a similar situation played out about the same time last year when schools were forced to shut operations midway into the third term of 2015/2016 academic session. Just like this year, that development triggered unpleasant reactions from parents, while some private school’s operators failed to comply.

Dr. Haruna, a senior faculty member of the Federal College of Education, Kano, who insists that the policy was counterproductive, posited that terminating session midway would not only breach quality academic structure, but also inflict far-reaching negative consequences on the education system.

“Academically, students would be denied of the functional quality of education as contained in the curriculum. Economically, parents would be paying for emptiness and this is a setback. Now government wants the students to stay at home for almost three months constituting a nuisance in the community when they are supposed to be in the classrooms,” Haruna submitted.

Yawale Baba, a parent, whose ward attends Spring International College, rejected the planned adjustment insisting that government most reverse the decision in the interest of the pupils as the negative impact of the such action would inflict on quality of education in Kano may not be redeemable.

According to Yawale, “We are appealing to the state government to have a rethink on the plan to close schools on July 1st when students have not even go half way into third term. They just resume a short while ago and government is coming up with this decision. It is so unfortunate.

“Some parents have not even paid their children’s fees and the schools are closing. Again, the government wants the students to stay at home for more than two months. And I ask, doing what for this long period? We are begging the government to save the future of education in Kano State for God sake.”

Another parent, Umar Maikudi Karaye wondered, “Why would government be playing politics with the future of our children when it should actually be thinking of positive and productive policies to advance education in the state.

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