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By Correspondent in Lokoja
Kogi State Government on Thursday reaffirmed that all Public and Private Schools in the state would to resume academic activities on January 18 with a call on all relevant stakeholders to comply.
In the same vein,there will be no no mid-term holidays for all categories of educational institutions in the state for all sessions.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology,Mr Wemi Jones, who disclosed this a news briefing on Thursday in Lokoja,said the move was enable public private schools continue their first term 2020/2021 academic session.
”It has become imperative for me to address the press this morning to clear the air, so as to prevent confusion on account of school resumption in Kogi State.
”I will like to state, unequivocally, that resumption date for all schools in Kogi State remains 18th of January, 2021.
”This applies to both public and private primary and secondary, and tertiary institutions of learning in the state,”Jones said.
The Commissioner said the ministry had done a revised school academic calender to accommodate and cover up for the two weeks’ break extension, due to lockdown prompted by the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.
He recalled that schools in the state were initially scheduled to resume on January 4, 2021 for continuation of first term but that it was extended by two weeks due to the general hardship in the country.
Jones also attributed extension to the second wave of Covid-19 lockdown, as advised by the Federal Ministry of Education through the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
He added that Governor Yahaya Bello, had directed the ministry to comply with the two weeks break extension in the state as advised by the PTF.
”’The governor, thereafter, clearly stated that the state would not jeopardize the education of our children by extending school resumption beyond 18th of January, 2021.
The Commissioner, therefore, called on all Boards and Agencies in the ministry and all relevant stakeholders to take note of the development and act accordingly.
Jones stressed that the ministry would monitor school resumption as usual, saying all heads of schools should comply strictly with the directive.
The Commissioner further warned that anything contrary to the directive would attract sanctions from any erring school.
According to the Commissioner, the continuation of the First Term 2020/2021 Academic session would begin on 18th January to end on 5th March, 2021.
He added that the 2nd Term 2020/2021 academic session would commence on March 15 to end on May 28, 2021 (10 weeks), while the 3rd Term would begin on June 7 to end on 20th August 20, 2021 (11 weeks).
He added that the 2021/2022 academic calender would commence on September 20, 2021.
”If we are able to achieve these, our losses in terms of time wasted during the lockdown period would be very negligible.
”This remodified calender has taken care of all national public holidays and we have taken them into consideration. So, every institution is advised to adhere strictly to it,”, he Jones.
He added that Secondary schools would close at 4p.m and Primary schools 2p.m daily from Monday to Thursday, while schools would close on Friday at 1p.m to consider the Muslim brothers for their Juma’at prayer.
He re-emphasised the need for teachers, students and parents to take note, observe and strictly adhere to all the COVID-19 protocols as stated by the PTF.
”We are very hopeful that we would not suffer any death on account of COVID-19 in our schools. Our state has remained COVID-19 free and we thank God for the proactiveness of the pragmatic Governor that we have.
