TheCable

The Kaduna state government has approved the resumption of students in Junior Secondary School three (JSS 3), ahead of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), organised by the National Examinations Council (NECO).

The decision is coming 12 days after the state government postponed the resumption of schools in the state over an ongoing “security operation”.

The JSS 3 students have been granted permission to resume school to participate in the BECE, scheduled for August 21 to September 6, 2021.

The development was announced in a statement by Shehu Muhammad, Kaduna commissioner for education, on Wednesday.

The commissioner said the students can resume “with effect from Wednesday, 18th August, 2021”.

“The Kaduna State Ministry of Education has approved the resumption of JSS III students who are scheduled to write the 2021 National Examination Council Basic Education Certificate Examination (NECO BECE),” the commissioner said.

“The exams will be conducted from Monday, 23rd August 2021 to Monday, 6th September 2021.

“Secondary schools are hereby directed to resume operations ONLY for JSS III students with effect from Wednesday 18th August 2021 and to inform the students to appear in mufti.

“Schools are expected to strictly comply with the above directives.”

In recent months, Kaduna has been a hotspot for bandits, with schools becoming targets.

According to the state government, between April 1 and June 30, 2021, at least 222 people were killed, while 774 others were kidnapped in Kaduna.