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Bauchi State’s move to shutter classrooms for a five-week stretch during Ramadan has lit a firestorm, splitting opinions on how faith fits into the educational puzzle—champions cheer it as a nod to heritage, while detractors slam it as a tilt toward piety at the expense of scholarship. Backers frame it as a thoughtful weave of culture into the system, but skeptics counter that it tips the scales, sidelining academics for spiritual leanings in a way that’s hard to ignore.
Bauchi State has rolled out plans for a term hiatus timed to kick off with Ramadan’s dawn, igniting chatter across Nigeria about how faith-based rhythms might be steering the academic wheel.
The state’s Education Ministry recently unveiled its roadmap for the 2024/2025 school year, sketching out pivotal markers for the second and third terms with meticulous flair.
Per the blueprint, the second term launched on January 6, 2025, slated for an 11-week sprint—punctuated by a breather from March 1 to March 5, stretching all the way to April 6, when classrooms are set to hum back to life.
In a directive inked by Education Commissioner Fatima Musa, the “Official Academic Timetable” pins the break from March 1 to April 5—a hefty five-week pause that’s raising eyebrows.
This window neatly dovetails with Ramadan’s onset, the sacred Islamic stretch of fasting, fueling buzz that the state might be carving out extra time to honor the spiritual season.
The decision taken by the state has sparked reactions from various quarters, with concerns raised over the implications of prolonged school closures on academic performance.
However, the Bauchi State Ministry of Education maintains that the changes in the academic schedule are part of a structured approach to balancing education with religious and cultural observances.
Critics argue that such scheduling prioritises religious observances over education, potentially affecting students in the long run.
Read also: Bauchi Govt Swears In Eight New Commissioners After Reshuffle
Abiodun, a social media user, lamented what he described as an imbalance in governance, stating, “A state government has closed down all schools for the next month because of Ramadan. This country isn’t designed to make it.”
Some voices, though, rallied behind the decision, insisting it syncs seamlessly with the academic framework’s design, brushing off critiques with a nod to practicality.
Khaleef Aniwura, a National Youth Service Corps participant stationed in Bauchi, who circulated the state-endorsed timetable, weighed in: “As a corps member here, I can tell you this break fits the school’s playbook. We’ve wrapped up the second term’s core lessons already—come April, we’ll dive back in for the extras and kick off the third term.”
The tussle over this schedule has sparked a broader showdown, thrusting the spotlight back onto how faith weaves into the fabric of governance—especially in classrooms—prompting murmurs about whether non-Muslim holy days would ever snag the same nod.
