Govt to political parties: don’t involve schools in partisan political activities

Ahead of 2019 general elections, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Education Secretariat on Friday cautioned political parties and their agents not to use public schools, pupils and students for political campaigns and partisan political activities.

The education secretariat raised an alarm that it has discovered that there were plans by political parties and their against to infiltrate schools.

It advised principals and head teachers to avoid granting access to politicians and political parties in this regard.

The secretariat vowed to punish any principal or head teacher that violates the warning.

A statement issued by the Assistant Director (Information), FCTA Education Secretariat, Anthony Ogunleye, reads in part: “The attention of the FCT Education Secretariat has been drawn to various attempts by political parties and their agents to access public schools in the FCT for the purposes of political campaigns and other partisan political activities.

“We wish to state very clearly that the education secretariat will not tolerate the infiltration of its school system for political purposes in any guise or form.

We have a statutory responsibility to ensure the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of the students and pupils under our care and these cannot be guaranteed should there be unfettered access to our schools by political parties, individual politicians, their agents or representatives.

“We therefore caution all those planning to use our students or school premises for partisan political activities to, in their own interest, please, stay away.

Our principals and head teachers have also been advised not to grant any access whatsoever to any individual or organisation intending to use their schools or access the students for partisan political activities.

“Any principal or head teacher that contravenes this directive will be sanctioned in accordance with the extant civil service rules and regulations.

Any individual or group that wishes to access any public school in the FCT for whatever reason should first seek permission from the Office of the Secretary for Education.”