The Niger State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has stated that, to its knowledge, it is not aware of the alleged closure of Kashim Primary School in Agaie by the Department of State Services (DSS) over a viral video recording of a debate by the pupils.
Recall that there is a viral video of a debate by pupils of the said primary school leading to speculations that the school had been closed down by the DSS.
Our correspondent in the state confirmed from the Ministry on Monday for clarification if it was true that the said school had been shut down by the operatives of the Niger State Directorate of the DSS in Minna over the alleged controversial school debate recently in Agaie Local Government Area of the State.
The Information Officer of the Ministry, Malam Jibrin Usman Kodo, stated emphatically that, to the best of his knowledge, it was not true in a brief telephone interview in Minna on Monday, 19th February 2024.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has expressed deep concern over the recent incident involving the use of vulgar and violent language in a school debate by a pupil.
This was contained in a press statement issued and made available to journalists on 16/02/2024 in Minna by the Information Officer of the Ministry, Malam Jibrin Usman Kodo, adding that the reaction of the ministry was rooted in a video circulating on social media, showing a primary school pupil using inappropriate language during a debate competition in one of the schools in Niger State.
According to the statement, the Ministry observed with dismay the disturbing content of the video that had gone viral on social media, where it was evident that the student had been allegedly coached by unnamed individuals to use violence and vulgar language in his presentation.
“Such behaviour is not only unacceptable to the Ministry but also goes against the values of respect and decorum that should be upheld in educational settings,” the statement maintained.
It added that the Ministry, under the leadership of the Hon. Commissioner, Dr. Hadiza Asabe Mohammed, emphasized the importance of promoting a positive and respectful learning environment for students and pupils at their formative age, whereby the use of vulgar and violent languages not only reflects poor orientation for the individual pupil but also on the school and the educational system as a whole.
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Accordingly, the statement noted that, in view of the foregoing, the Commissioner has vowed to investigate the incident further and take appropriate disciplinary action against those responsible for coaching the student to use such language.
Dr. Hadiza had also urged schools to reinforce the importance and proper conduct among students, both in and out of the classroom.
The statement stressed that the Ministry remains committed to upholding high standards of behavior and academic excellence in schools and will not tolerate any form of behavior that undermines these principles.
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