The Bauchi State government has ordered the closure of schools for five weeks during the Ramadan period.
According to the directive, schools will be shut from February 26, 2025, until the end of Ramadan and the Salah celebration, with classes resuming on April 5.
An official academic calendar shows that the second term of the 2024/2025 session began on January 5, 2025. However, the state government structured the term into two phases: the first running from January 5 to February 28, followed by a five-week break from March 1 to April 5, with classes resuming from April 6 to April 29.
The decision has sparked opposition from private school owners, particularly those of Christian faith, who argue that given the state’s diverse student population, the directive should not disrupt education for all students.
The report also found that the state government implemented similar school closures in previous years. However, after interventions from education sector stakeholders, authorities later allowed schools to make independent decisions—permitting those that wished to close to do so, while others remained open.
“This is not the first time the school will be ordered to close, we have had such a case before and we set up a committee that liaised with the state education commissioner, who relaxed the order,” a source said.b
This time, however, the state government has taken a stricter stance, mandating that all schools remain closed throughout the Ramadan fasting period.
Dissatisfied with the decision, especially the controversial academic calendar that forces a five-week halt in education for Nursery, Primary, and Secondary school students, a group known as Christian-Faith Based Schools in Bauchi has opposed the directive and is calling for intervention.
In a letter obtained by SaharaReporters, Musa Bogoro Zakka—the immediate past Chairman of Private School Owners in Bauchi Local Government and the 2015 Bauchi State Chairman of the National Association of Private School Owners urged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to advocate on behalf of Christian students and appeal to the state government to reconsider the decision.
The letter reads, “We are writing on behalf of the Christian-faith-based schools in Bauchi State to bring to your attention to the implication of the Bauchi State Ministry of Education Academic Calendar 2024/2025 session for nursery/Primary and Secondary Schools which mandates all schools (private and public) to outrightly close during the Ramadan Fast, which begins from 1st March 5th April 2025.
“When we made an observation at the beginning, we were told that even CAN was part of the stakeholders who planned the calendar and we cannot be more Christians.
“However, as the days draw closer, the feedback from the Christian faith-based schools necessitates the request to have an audience with you and raise our concerns for a way forward.”
The group argued that staying at home for Five (5) weeks and resuming to conclude the term “will definitely affect the preparations of students towards external examinations (WAEC, NECO, and JAMB) since our syllabi may not be covered.”
They also noted that the “proposed calendar will surely damage the morals of students who are expected to return and start writing examinations, and continue another term without break for 14 weeks while teachers’ mark record and are still expected to discharge their duties simultaneously and seamlessly”.
The group also argued that the closure could harm peaceful coexistence between Christian and Muslim students in the state, as it might be seen as forcing all students to stay at home regardless of their religious affiliations.
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They further accused the state government of discriminating against private schools, noting that tertiary institutions and civil servants were not required to suspend activities during Ramadan.
However, Musa Zakka, chairman of the Christian-faith based school owners committee, told SaharaReporters that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) did not provide adequate support in their efforts to engage with the state government.
“We requested to meet with CAN but we were never granted an audience, we wanted to reach the state government through the Christian Association of Nigeria but we were not successful,” he told SaharaReporters.
Although the state government allegedly claimed that it consulted all religious leaders, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), before creating the calendar that grants a five-week break for Ramadan, the CAN chairman in the state, Abraham Damina, denied being consulted or formally informed about the school closure.
“I was not consulted, neither was CAN consulted. Nobody from the state government reached out to me, I was not informed of the plan,” he told SaharaReporters, insisting that CAN was not party to the process that led to the decision to shut down schools for five weeks.
He also denied any knowledge of the letter from the Christian-faith group protesting the government’s decision to close schools for five weeks.
When asked for his views on the matter, he declined to comment, stating that if he had been informed about the school closures, he would have contacted the relevant authorities before making any public statements.
Meanwhile, Musa Hardo, the Bauchi State Chairman for Private School Owners, defended the government’s decision.
“The decision was reached based on the academic calendar drawn by the government, and reached after consultation with different groups including religious leaders,” he said.
“If you say the five-week break is because of Ramadan and you are angry, what about during Christmas. Should children now say they would not go on break during the period too?”
He noted that the decision does not create an exception for anyone, as schools are required to shut down during the period specified in the calendar.
Hardo also asserted that the CAN chairman was invited to be a part of the committee that decided the school calendar.
While acknowledging that he was not present at the meeting himself, he mentioned that his secretary, who represented the association, reported that the CAN chairman was invited.
Bauchi State Government Threaten Schools with Sanctions
Report has learned that the state government has been issuing threats to private schools, warning that failure to comply with the school closure mandate would result in sanctions.
In a circular sent to private schools by the head of private schools in the state ministry of education, it was stated that private schools must adhere to the government directive.
It reads, “I am directed to inform you that the official closing date of all Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools in the State is Wednesday 26th February, 2025. All Private Schools must comply with the academic calendar.
“Although, the liberty of one week before or after, still stands (but with a concrete reason).”
“The Local Government Taskforce on Private Schools are instructed by the Ministry to forward the name of school(s) that refuse to comply, for further necessary action, please,” the statement noted.
According to data, Bauchi State Leads In the Highest Number Of Children Deprived Of Education.
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