ASUSS Reopens Secondary Schools

The Taraba State chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), yesterday, gave nod for the reopening of secondary schools in the state.

The union, during a media briefing in Jalingo, said academic activities would start on Monday in the entire axis of the state.

Academic activities were paralysed across all the secondary schools last week, following the gruesome killing of a secondary school teacher.

The closure  was aimed at not only curtailing future occurrences, but to as well bring to the notice of the state government the ills that have taken place in public schools.

The state Secretary of the union, Dr. Ishaku Kazon, while announcing the decision to reopen the schools, noted that the agenda of barbarism is fighting against civilisation, norms and values of the society.

He said: "Once education is taken away from a society, of course you know that darkness will loom over such society.

"After several hours of meeting with the agencies of the state government, the union has unanimously agreed to reopen the secondary schools in Taraba State

"Over the weekend, we have had fruitful deliberations with the agencies of government, the House Committee on Education, and the Ministry of Education. They gave us a round off of the activities of the government and how proactive the government is, and the steps taken so far."

He said that aside the message of condolence sent to the union by the government, through the Commissioner for Education, the government had as well set up a committee assigned with the responsibility of investigating and bring the perpetrators to book.

The union said it had also called on the government to step in by taking over the burial of the deceased.

It said the state government should also provide palliative measures for the families of the deceased, by taking over the education of the children of the deceased, among other things.