Students and parents have expressed concern over the continued closure of Federal Government Colleges in Abuja following an indefinite strike by workers in Nigeria’s Unity Schools.
The industrial action disrupted the scheduled resumption of students in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday, as some Federal Government Colleges remained shut.
At the Federal Government Girls’ College, Bwari, the school gate was closed, with placards placed at the entrance by protesting workers.
Vehicles belonging to staff members were seen entering the premises, while some students who arrived in mufti waited outside the gate to determine whether they would be allowed into the school.
Some staff members who spoke anonymously declined to comment, saying their unions were responsible for communicating their position on the strike.
The protest has affected Federal Government Colleges across the country and has received support from some civil society groups.
Placards displayed at the Bwari school gate included messages such as “An injury to one is an injury to all,” while others opposed the concession or privatisation of Federal Government Colleges.
A parent and member of the Parents Teachers Association expressed disappointment over the situation, saying the possible privatisation of the schools could increase the financial burden on families.
Bello said handing over the management of Unity Schools to private individuals or old students’ associations could make them inaccessible to children from low-income families.
“It is very unfortunate that this is happening at this moment in the country’s history. I don’t know why it is during my time as a parent that I would be experiencing this.
“When you are considering selling unity schools or handing them over to individuals or old boys’ associations, it means you are making life difficult for parents. The child of the poor man may no longer have access to these schools because school fees, tuition and other charges will definitely increase,” she said.
She also expressed concern that the strike had disrupted the students’ scheduled resumption.
“As you can see, our children are supposed to resume today, but because of this development, honestly, we cannot resume. We are very concerned and saddened by what is happening,” Bello said.
At the Federal Government Boys’ College, Garki, some returning students were also seen outside the school gate, trying to establish whether the strike would prevent them from resuming.
One of the students said they had expected normal academic activities but came to the school to understand the reason for the disruption.
“Many of us came expecting that school would resume, but we discovered that things were not moving as usual. We came to know what is happening and how it will affect us,” the student said.
The strike followed a directive by the Joint Workers’ Union of Unity Schools for workers in Federal Government Colleges nationwide to withdraw their services indefinitely.
The unions, including the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and the Nigeria Union of Teachers, are protesting the Federal Government’s concession of Kings College, Lagos, to its alumni association.
The workers have opposed the arrangement, arguing that concessioning the historic school could pave the way for the transfer of other public schools to private interests.
The industrial action has consequently disrupted academic activities in several Unity Schools, leaving students and parents uncertain about when normal school operations will resume.
