Mixed reactions trail Lagos schools one-week mid-term break

The Lagos State government has directed both public and private primary and secondary schools in the state to go on a week-long mid-term break beginning from Monday, November 1 to Friday, November 5.

The Office of Education Quality Assurance, OEQA, under the state’s Ministry of Education, gave the directive on Tuesday with a circular to that effect sent electronically to leaderships of various schools’ associations.

According to the Director-General of the agency, Mrs Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, in a statement, all schools are expected to resume on Monday, November 8, 2021, for instructional learning hours in accordance with the 2021/2022 harmonised school calendar by the state education ministry.

She explained that the one-week break would afford schools the opportunity to allow their teachers and students to refresh for improved performance when back to schools to continue with their activities till they close for the Christmas holiday.

She said at this time of COVID-19, learning had gone beyond the conventional physical four walls of the classroom as learning also takes place remotely with electronic devices.

She, however, urged those concerned, particularly the school administrators and leaders of private schools to comply strictly with the directive.

However, mixed reactions trailed this development, particularly as regards using a full one-week for the break, especially among the private school owners and parents.

Some private schools have already even declared their own mid-term break for between Wednesday, October 27 and Friday, October 29, this week with Wednesday as an Open Day.

So, while some said the one week is not too much especially for schools operating boarding facilities as they may use the period to put certain things in order, some others described the time lag as strange.

Those in the former category including the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), said the full one week is a welcome development, particularly that the term is stretched beyond the normal 12 weeks for a term.

According to the president of NAPPS, Lagos State chapter, Mr Olawale Mohammed, the one-week period will enable students in boarding schools to go home and reunite with their families and come back to school refreshed.

But on the other hand, those in the latter category argued that schools’ mid-term break in the state had always been two days maximum, and mostly Thursday and Friday of any week it is being declared.

“So, we are confused to see a circular asking us to observe a full one week as a mid-term break,” said the immediate past Lagos State Chairman of the League of Muslim School Proprietors, Mr Raheem Fatai.

Using Oyo State as a reference, he said Lagos State should have also declared only Thursday and Friday of next week instead of the entire week for the break.

“But since we have no option, we will go by the state government’s directive,” he said.

Similarly, some parents told Tribune Online that declaring a full week as a mid-term break would certainly alter their schedules as regards where to keep their children when they would be at work.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Viral Voice Note On WhatsApp Billing False

Claim: A viral WhatsApp voice note, purportedly made by the director and CEO of WhatsApp, claims users will have to start paying for WhatsApp services.

Verdict: The viral WhatsApp voice note claim is a hoax. The content is not new and has been circulated as a broadcast message several times in the past.Mixed reactions trail Lagos schools one-week mid-term break

Mixed reactions trail Lagos schools one-week mid-term break