FCTA schools record low turnout of students on resumption

BY UKPONO UKPONG

As schoold resume for the 2nd term of 2022/2023 academic session, low turnout of students have been recorded across most of the schools in the nation’s capital, Abuja, especially in the Kwali Area Council of Abuja, the FCT.

This was witnessed yesterday during the routine inspection tour to both private and public schools by the officials of the FCT Education Secretariat to assess resumption compliance level in schools.

It was observed that while there was substantial presence of students and pupils in day schools (both private and public institutions), boarding schools recorded very low turnout of students since the resumption of schools on Monday.

Some of the schools visited include: Government Secondary School, Government Science Technical College (GSTC), FCT LEA Pilot school, and Ambassador Global Academy, all in Kwali area of the FCT.

Speaking with newsmen during the tour, Secretary, Education Secretariat, Dahir El-Katuzu, disclosed that on the average, about 40% of students have resumed school in the area, which leaves a lot to be desired.

El-Katuzu, noted that the situation may not be unconnected to the security situation especially in Kwali and Abaji Area Councils, as such sometimes resumption will not be immediate as expected.

He however, revealed that administrators of Schools in Kwali, were asked to use thier initiatives to see that they introduce policies that will attract students to resume school immediately, so as to cashew such kind of lateness.

According to him, the Secretariat has a culture of going round schools in FCT at resumption, to look into it and give advice to students that resumed.

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“While we do it in the city centre, we found out that students resume almost immediately they are asked to, but unfortunately in Kwali, we have some little difference. Today, we came to schools in Kwali instead of the normal city centre inspection.

We have come to see schools in Kwali, and we have observed the resumption is not too poor, but actually it is not too good. On the average, about 40% of students have resumed school.

“We expect a situation where students will at least have more than 50% resumption, because you can not have 100%, as there has to be some issues experienced by both students and parents.

“The resumption in Kwali needs a lot to be desired. But, we have spoken with administrators of Schools, where we asked them to use thier initiatives to see that they introduce policies that will attract students to resume school immediately, so that we don’t experience this kind of lateness.

“We are also aware that because of the security situation especially in Kwali and Abaji Area Councils, sometimes resumption will not be immediate as expected. That notwithstanding, we will continue to urge both students and school administrators to see that the students resume on time”, he explained.

He admonished students to always be hardworking, inorder to be properly developed for the future, as they are the leaders of tomorrow.

On his part, Principal of Government Science Technical College, Kwali, Oyawale Olusegun, who disclosed that the school recorded only 25% resumption, said efforts are on ground to improve the situation.

Meanwhile, Principal, Junior wing of Government Secondary School, Kwali, disclosed that it recorded 95 per cent resumption rate, Ogonye Yakubu Shadrach.