Oyo Abduction: One of attacked school remains closed as new academic session begins state-wide

Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Oyo State, one of the schools attacked during the May abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, has remained closed despite the commencement of the new academic session in the state.

The development emerged on Tuesday when the Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Olusegun Olayiwola, visited communities affected by the abduction to assess the state of education and efforts to return children to school.

According to a statement signed by the Commissioner of Information, Dotun Oyelade, he stated that Mr Olayiwola, who led senior officials of the ministry on the working visit to Oriire Local Government Area, found that the Baptist-owned school had not resumed for the first term.

He consequently directed the Director of Basic Education to engage the Nigerian Baptist Conference on possible interventions to support the school and prevent its closure.

He noted that the school is privately owned by the Nigerian Baptist Conference and that the government is committed to ensuring every school is open and functional to accommodate children.

“The commissioner also interacted with parents and children in the Yawota community, where concerns were raised about children who had not returned to school and were instead engaged in skills-acquisition activities during school hours,” the statement read.

Mr Olayiwola also visited other affected school communities.

At Ahoro-Esiele Community Grammar School, which has resumed activities, teachers identified a shortage of personnel, particularly Mathematics teachers, as one of the major challenges facing the school.

Mr Olayiwola, however, directed the Tutor-General to facilitate the posting of additional teachers to the school.

He also received a request from Parent-Teacher Association teachers seeking absorption into the state’s teaching service commission, citing their continued service to the school before, during and after the security incident. The commissioner directed the tutor-general to prepare a submission on interested community indigenes willing to teach for consideration by the state governor.

The 15 May Oyo Abduction

The May 15 attack on schools in Yawota and neighbouring Ahoro-Esiele community resulted in the abduction of 46 schoolchildren and teachers, with the victims spending 56 days in captivity before their rescue on 10 July.

The attack targeted Baptist Nursery and Primary School, L.A. Primary School(Ahoro-Esinele), and Community Grammar School (Ahoro-Esinele)

The abduction, which triggered widespread concerns about the safety of schools in the area, also led to resistance to school resumption by teachers’ representatives, who had demanded adequate security measures before schools could reopen.

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With the first term now underway, however, the commissioner’s visit showed that returning schools and pupils to normal academic activities remains a challenge in some of the affected communities.

“At Yawota community, there were concerns raised about children who had not returned to school and were instead engaged in skills-acquisition activities during school hours,” the statement added.

The commissioner subsequently visited some of the locations where the children were learning vocational skills and urged their parents to prioritise their education.

He directed relevant ministry officials to follow up on the affected children and facilitate their return to school, warning against a further increase in the number of out-of-school children in the state.