Lagos schools resume today, the
Lagos State Area Unit of Muslim Students’
Society of Nigeria, MSSN, has warned Tutor-
Generals/Permanent Secretaries, principals
and teachers, to adhere to the Appeal Court
judgement granting the right to wear hijab in
public schools in the state.
This came two months after the Court of
Appeal granted the right to wear hijab in all
public primary and secondary schools in
Lagos State, interpreting that sections 38 and
42 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as
amended) guarantees the fundamental human
right of wearing hijab.
Also, the All Nigeria Conference of Principals
of Secondary Schools, ANCOPSS, has asked
members not to direct students to remove or
seize hijab.
Amir of the MSSN, Lagos State, Mr. Saheed
Ashafa, who gave the warning, yesterday, in a
statement, insisted that students should
neither be punished, harassed nor victimised
for wearing hijab within and outside the
school premises.
He stated that: “Though, we do not expect any
teacher to act to the contrary, if they do, we
urge our members to ensure that they resist
removing the hijab with their own hands.
They
should ensure that the teacher or overzealous
principal do it themselves. And after any of
the education stakeholders does that, he or
she should be prepared for legal and mass
actions.”
Reminding the stakeholders that the right to
wear hijab has been granted in Lagos State-
owned public schools, Ashafa said: “It will not
be fair for any tutor-general, principal or
teacher to order any student to remove their
hijab; such action amount to committing
contempt of court.
The statement read: “A situation where a
principal or teacher will be seen punishing,
threatening, assaulting or harassing a student
for wearing hijab, after the judiciary has
granted it, will amount to not only contempt
of court but a betrayal of literacy, ridiculing of
education and an abuse of reasoning.
“We plead that all the stakeholders in
education should be law abiding and
practicalise what they have been teaching us
as students.
We commend our teachers for
their efforts from inception and hope that as
students’ resume, they will not demonstrate to
us how to disobey the constitution and
judiciary.”
ANCOPSS urges principals to allow students
wear hijab
Meanwhile, the All Nigeria Conference of
Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS),
has asked members not to direct student to
remove or seize hijab from student.
Vanguard gathered that the directive was
stated in a circular sent to principals of
secondary schools in the state.
Sources said the principals were directed to
concentrate on their primary responsibilities
of teaching and effective supervision of the
students and leave religion issues.
Speaking to the National president of
ANCOPSS, Mr. Anselm Izuagie, said “I will get
back to you tomorrow on the issue.”
VANGUARD
0 comments: