Niger state government has declared that it is not sure of when the boarding schools that were shut down will reopen as a result of the insecurity ravaging the state.
The state Commissioner for Education, Hon Hannatu Jibrin, stated this during the reunion and handing over of the kidnapped Kagara students to their families on Sunday.
The Commissioner explained that the government is meeting with parents, teachers and other stakeholders to come up with a template for the reopening of the schools.
In her words, “The security challenge facing this state is huge and we have to ensure things are put in proper place before we will think of reopening the school. I can’t say when they will go back to school or when it will be reopened but we will ensure that the SS3 students are kept in touch with, to see how we will manage them so that they won’t miss anything and still write the final examination. Schools and students are delicate, but we are talking to the parents and other stakeholders to come up with a template for the reopening of the school”.
Speaking further, the commissioner encouraged the students not to be discouraged by their experience stressing that they should go back to the society as better people and identify a path to see how they can get out of the trauma caused by their abduction.
Also commenting , the Director-General of the Child’s Right Agency in the state, Hajia Mariam Kolo, who has been at the forefront of counselling of the students to get them out of the trauma described what they went through as indeed a harrowing experience.
Mariam, however said she was happy with the students’ response to their counselling.
She also stated that the agency has done its best and that there would be a follow up on the students adding that the feedback from them will determine what steps would be taken next.
