In Kano, school resumption date sets proprietors, govt apart

The disagreement between proprietors of private schools and the Kano State government over resumption date, has taken a new twist that resulted to the closure of 41 private schools in the state, Daily Trust can report. According to the Kano State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board, many more private schools will follow suit if their […]

The disagreement between proprietors of private schools and the Kano State government over resumption date, has taken a new twist that resulted to the closure of 41 private schools in the state, Daily Trust can report.
According to the Kano State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board, many more private schools will follow suit if their proprietors refused to resume as directed by the state government, the executive secretary of the board, Alhaji Kabiru Mustapha, has said.
Trouble started between the proprietors and government after a circular issued by the latter directing all schools in the state, including private schools, to resume on the 27th of last month.
While the board stood firmly by the July 27 resumption date, proprietors of the private schools under the auspice of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Kano State chapter and Association of Model Islamic Schools (AMIS) insisted that private schools are expected to resume on September 7 as earlier directed by the state government.
However, the vice president, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Kano State chapter, Mr. Godwin Adadba, told Daily Trust that the two associations had in a letter they sent to the state government requested for approval to allow private schools to resume on September 7 and government has approved their request.
Adadba noted that: “The executive secretary of the board is the one that informed us about the approval. So we are abiding by this approval. But it surprises me that the same person is now making a u-turn to say that we should resume before September 7.”
But the Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Kabiru Mustapha, who spoke through the board’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Yusha’u Abdullahi Bichi, denied knowledge of the September 7 approval claimed by the proprietors.
He said government has issued a new calendar for the year, 2015, but the proprietors are still using the outdated school calendar of 2014.
“When government directed for the closure of all schools in the state during the period of the Ramadan fast, the proprietors requested for additional two weeks to enable them complete the term and government granted their request. So, I wonder why they cannot resume before September,” he said.
 “We have closed down 41 private schools out of the 1,26 I visited and until the proprietors succumb to the government directives, more schools will follow suit. They must come back and complete the remaining four weeks for the third term of the 2014/2015 academic session which they have not completed,” he insisted.
However, Mr. Adadba on his part said what was still not clear to the proprietors was whether the private schools are coming back to complete the third term of 2014/2015 academic session or they are to begin the first term of 2015/2016 academic session.
“Because of the fluctuation of our calendar, many proprietors cannot pay salaries to their teachers. Government should bear with us so that things can be resolved amicably.
“Although we are not fighting government on this issue, but no matter what government will do, private schools in Kano State will not resume until September 7. NAPPS and AMIS had held a congress meeting and we have resolved to resume on September 7and there is no going back on that,” he said.
Parents and students appeared to be the real victims of the fight between the NAPPS and government, Daily Trust has observed.
Ali Ibrahim, a 10-year-old primary two pupil, said he was sad over the fracas between the two parties, as according to him, he was forced to stay idle at home.
“I am not happy for not going to school these days. I will be happy if the crisis will be over soon. We have spent so many days at home doing nothing apart from watching television and playing football. This is not the best for a child of my age.
“I am appealing to the government and proprietors to immediately resolve their differences so that we can go back to classes,”  he said.
Hajiya Amina Bello, a mother said the disagreement between the two parties has caused serious confusion among many parents, while some schools are operating, others are still on vacation.