FG shuts down unity schools for presidential election

Adamu Adamu, minister of education, says unity schools across
the country will embark on a mid-term break between February 15 and
19.

According to the minister, the directive is to ensure that
parents have time to vote at the presidential polls scheduled to
hold on February 16.

“Our students in unity schools are not of voting age but we
adjusted the mid-term break to make it fall within the elections
period,” he said at the ministerial news briefing in Abuja on
Friday.

“The date for the mid-term break will be from Friday, February
15 to Tuesday, February 19. This is for only unity schools in the
country. We are not shutting down other schools.

“The essence of this break is to enable parents have maximum
time to go and cast their votes and have the freedom to bring their
children and wards back to school.

“Even if the child is not of voting age, the parent is of voting
age. The break is only for presidential elections. There is no
break for governorship elections.”

Speaking on the suspended strike action by the Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU), the minister said the struggle was
for the “development of the country’s educational system”.

“In spite of my anger and anxiety with ASUU, I must also commend
their patriotism and public spiritedness because the last few weeks
were about the struggle for the education system and not their
allowances.”

The minister expressed optimism that the Academic Staff Union of
Polytechnic (ASUP) would also suspend its two months strike before
Monday.