COVID-19: Kaduna Govt. shuts down private school for conducting entrance exams

The Kaduna State School Quality Assurance Authority has shut down Future Leaders International School, Unguwar Rimi, Kaduna for conducting entrance examination in violation of the Coronavirus Quarantine Order.

The Director General of the agency, Hajiya Umma Ahmad, disclosed this to our reporter in Kaduna on Thursday, adding that the school’s license would also be revoked.

Ahmad explained that the school was shut down on Wednesday for conducting entrance examination into Junior Secondary School I (JSS I) and Senior Secondary School I (SSI) for 70 pupils.

She added that they found 34 teaching and non-teaching staffers, including construction workers within the school premises.

The action, Ahmad said, was in violation of the Federal and the state’s government COVID-19 Quarantine Order, which directed that all schools should remain close.

The official added that the government had held series of meetings with the leadership of the Nigerian Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in the state on why schools should remain closed.

“It was resolved that members of the association should leverage on e-learning introduced by the Ministry of Education to keep children learning at home and at no cost to parents.”

According to her, Gov. Nasir El-Rufa’i had also in a broadcast on June 9, categorically directed that all schools should remain closed.

“But against this directive, we learnt that Future Leaders International School had asked pupils and students to come to the school to write entrance examination into JSS I and SS I.

“On getting there, we met 70 pupils and students writing the examination, with 34 teaching and non-teaching staffs as well as construction ongoing in the school.

“In fact, half of the pupils and students were not wearing face masks, a situation that put the children at risk of contacting the Coronavirus.

“I, therefore, sent the pupils out, invited their parents and closed the school as directed by the Commissioner of Education, Dr Shehu Makarfi.”

The quality assurance boss added emphatically that the school’s license would be revoked.

When contacted, the proprietor of the school, Mrs Margarita Osuala, said: “I will not speak right now, but I will get back to you.”

On his part, NAPPS Secretary, Mr Philip Iorhena, described the incident as “very unfortunate.”

Iorhena acknowledged that the state government had been carrying the association along in all its decisions concerning the lockdown, and wondered why Future Leaders International School decided to open.

“Notwithstanding, we apologise on behalf of the school and we are appealing to the state government for leniency,” he said.