FCT Mulls Third Term Calendar Extension For Primary Schools

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is considering extending the current third term academic session for its public primary schools.

This comes as schools resume after a prolonged closure due to a teachers' strike.

Schools were shut down towards the end of the second term in March when teachers embarked on an indefinite strike.

Their grievances included the non-implementation of the new minimum wage and the non-payment of salary arrears. This forced pupils to abandon their second-term examinations midway, keeping them at home since then.

The teachers, under the umbrella of the FCT wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), suspended the strike on Tuesday night, directing its members to resume academic activities immediately.

However, this resumption is just two weeks shy of the original July 25 end date for the third term, as per the Education Secretariat's calendar.

Extension plans underway

There are strong indications that the FCT Administration may extend the calendar for public primary schools to compensate for lost learning time during the strike.

A senior staff member at the FCT Education Secretariat confirmed that plans are in motion to extend the calendar.

'We are already discussing it, and the secretariat will meet with the NUT to come up with something that will be helpful to the pupils who have been home for so long,' the official stated.

The official also highlighted the urgent need to assist Primary Six pupils.

'Something must be done to help those in Primary Six so that they will be able to qualify for admission into Junior Secondary School (JSS) in September. Without these arrangements, they won't be able to enter JSS 1 this year,' he explained.

Suleiman Hassan, Chairman of the FCT Universal Education Board, also hinted at the extension plan for public primary schools, which are just reopening after a lengthy shutdown.

Hassan informed Abuja Metro that meetings are being planned with the FCT NUT leadership to strategize for the new term.

He clarified that while discussions are ongoing, nothing has been formally agreed upon yet.

Educationist urges extension

Alhaji Daodu Mustapha, a retired principal, has strongly urged the FCT Administration to extend the third term for public primary schools to help pupils recover lost time.

'There are no two ways about it; the session must be extended for them. Teachers should have no complaints because they received salaries and arrears for the months they were at home,' he asserted. He also advised that special attention be given to Primary Six pupils.

Teachers, pupils in high spirits as schools reopen

Pupils and teachers of public primary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) returned to classes yesterday following the suspension of the more than three-month-long strike.

Abuja Metro reports that the strike began as pupils were undertaking their second-term examinations.

Teachers were protesting the non-implementation of the national minimum wage and the non-payment of accumulated arrears.

Despite several interventions by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and other stakeholders, and even after receiving the new wage, the teachers initially rejected calls to return to work.

They finally suspended the strike on Tuesday night after receiving five out of seven months' worth of arrears owed them by the area council chairmen.

Low turnout on resumption day

Our reporters, who visited several schools yesterday, observed that both teachers and pupils were in high spirits, although the turnout was low due to the late announcement of the strike's suspension on Tuesday.

At LEA Kubwa 3 Model Primary School in Kubwa, pupils were seen cleaning the school compound around 8am.

Leona Eshika, one of the school's teachers and the assistant headmaster 2, explained that they directly contacted some parents about the resumption.

'We have the contacts of some parents who usually get in touch with us to find out about when the school would resume, so we informed them immediately after receiving a signal about the resumption Tuesday evening,' she stated.

Eshika noted that while few pupils turned up, she expects numbers to improve today.

Similarly, pupils and teachers resumed at LEA Primary Schools in Abaji, Kwali, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Zuba.

A reporter monitoring resumption on Wednesday morning, observed a low turnout of both teachers and pupils at LEA Pilot Science Primary School, Abaji.

Some teachers attributed this to late communication from the NUT branch to both parents and teachers. Few pupils were seen at the assembly ground alongside some teachers.

Mrs. Zainab Abdullahi, a class teacher, confirmed that some teachers and parents received information about the strike's suspension late Tuesday night, with her own notification coming via a teachers' WhatsApp platform.

'Primary schools across the FCT had been closed for over three months, which, I believe, made both parents and teachers unsure if the strike would be called off or suspended until late in the night when some teachers were informed to resume classes today,' she said.

The head teacher of the school, Comrade Salihu Jibrin, also attributed the low turnout to the prolonged strike.

He said some parents and teachers received the information late through the teachers' WhatsApp platform.

He assured that full resumption is expected by the end of the week, stating that over 300 pupils had already returned on the first day. 'As you can see, after the school assembly, the number of pupils that have turned up for their classes has reached 300. You can go round the classes to see for yourself,' he added.

He commended the council chairmen, the FCT NUT leadership, and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for releasing N16 billion to pay the new wage and outstanding arrears to primary school teachers.

At LEA Primary School Bako in Kwali Area Council, a limited number of pupils and teachers resumed, with pupils cleaning the school surroundings at 10am when a reporter visited.

Benjamin Isaac, a teacher at the school, cited the prolonged strike as the cause for the low turnout, assuring that full resumption would occur by week's end.

He noted that some teachers residing in rural communities might not have been aware of Wednesday's resumption due to late information sent to the Kwali NUT branch. 'You know some of the teachers have been in the village farming due to the prolonged strike,' he explained.

The situation was similar at LEA Primary School Old Kutunku in Gwagwalada Area Council, where only a few pupils and teachers were present for classes and were engaged in cleaning the school compound.

The same scenario was observed at LEA Primary School Zuba, where pupils swept classrooms under the supervision of a few teachers.

At LEA Science Primary School, Unguwar Gede in Kuje Area Council, a small number of pupils and teachers also resumed and were tasked with cleaning the school compound, which had become overgrown with grass.

PTA expresses concern

Meanwhile, Alhaji Usman Abubakar, Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), reacted to the resumption by commending FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, the FCT NUT leadership, and other stakeholders for ending the protracted strike.

However, he expressed concern that pupils might struggle to catch up with the academic calendar, as schools are already nearing the end of the third term.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).