The Federal Government of Nigeria is yet to comment on the controversy over the use of hijab which has led to crisis in 10 missionary schools, Guardian Reports.
The affected schools are CAC Secondary School, Asa Dam Road; St. Barnabas Secondary School, Sabo-Oke; St. John School Maraba; St. Williams Secondary School, Taiwo Isale, and St. James Secondary School, Maraba.
Others are C&S College, Sabo-Oke; St. Anthony’s Secondary School, Offa Road; ECWA School, Oja Iya; Surulere Baptist Secondary School, and Bishop Smith Secondary School, Agba Dam.
In the wake of the crisis, the state government set up a committee to look into the controversy and later directed that all public schools should respect the rights of Muslim students to wear the head covering, if they choose to.
However, the directive hasn’t done much to solve the problem but led to a resurgence in the crisis which took a violent dimension in some of the schools last week.
When asked to clarify the role of the Federal Government in finding a lasting solution to the issue, Education Ministry’s Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Ben Goong, told the Guardian that “The Ministry of education cannot be reacting to such things.
Goong who spoke during an interview in Abuja on Saturday said “If ministry of education chooses to dabble into every crises in state schools, our heads will break.”
Similarly an educationist Uzoma Nzeagwu, argued that there are much more pressing issues in schools that demand the attention of the Federal Government.
She went on to note that the controversy surrounding the wearing of hijab in some schools in Kwara State is largely driven by prejudice.
