Wearing of hijab and beret in schools by students is optional, the Kwara State government has clarified.
The chairman of the state’s Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Mal. Bello Tahueed, made this clarification during a meeting with some stakeholders and principals of public schools in Oyun local government area of the state.
The clarification followed the alleged refusal of some school principals in Oyun local government area to allow interested Muslim female students wearing hijab access into their schools.
The TESCOM chairman warned school principals in Oyun axis to abide by the policy of the state government and “desist from imposing hijab or berret on any student, instead, it should be made optional.
He warned the school principals that the state government would not tolerate religious bigotry and also enjoined them to shun religious sentiments and respect the rights of individuals.
In his remarks, the president of All Nigeria Conference of Secondary School Principals (ANCOPSS) in the state, Alh Toyin Abdullahi, expressed his displeasure over the development and urged his colleagues to maintain religious neutrality while resolving any issue in their schools.
