The Bauchi State government has announced the closure of all schools in the state for five weeks in preparation for the 2025 Ramadan fast.
This was revealed by the state’s Ministry of Education in the approved school calendar for the 2024-2025 academic session.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria in Bauchi on Friday, the Information Officer of the Ministry of Education, Jalaludeen Maina, confirmed that the holiday had been scheduled in the school calendar long before now.
He explained that the break would start from March 1 and end on April 5, 2025.
“Yes, we are closing all our schools, and this is included in our 2024-2025 approved calendar for the academic session. Our students will not do the Ramadan fasting while in school.
“The five-week holiday is for Ramadan fasting, and immediately after the fasting, they will resume and continue with their academics,” Maina said.
The closure will affect all public and private primary, junior, and secondary schools, as well as higher institutions of learning in the state.
However, some parents have expressed concern over the length of the break, fearing it might affect their children’s education.
A parent, Sunita Joseph, voiced her frustration, saying, “Why would the Ramadan break be too long like this? The children may have even started forgetting what they had learned before the break.”
Another parent, Ismail Raji, urged the government to reconsider the decision, warning that it could add to the growing number of out-of-school children in the state.
“The government should be more concerned about keeping children in school, not giving them long breaks that could discourage them from returning,” Raji said.
Mohammed Isa also criticised the decision, reminding the government that Bauchi State already has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children.
“The government should focus on creating projects and programmes that encourage parents to send their children to school,” he said.
The state government has yet to respond to the concerns raised by parents.
