By Wale OLAYANJU

On Friday 3 June, 2016, an Oshogbo High Court granted willing female Muslim students the right to wear hijab (veil) in Osun State’s public primary and secondary schools. The case was instituted in 2013 by the state’s Muslim Community against the state government on the imposition of bans on wearing of hijab to school.

Following the ruling, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) rejected it saying they will not allow the wearing of hijab in schools established by Christian missionaries. They also threatened to direct Christian pupils to wear choir robes and other church garments to public schools should the state government implements the court judgment on hijab.

As if acting this script, some Christian secondary school students in the state on Tuesday started wearing church garments to their schools.

Nothing describes the current controversy better that the proverbial adage of “eru amukun”. Won ni amukun eru e wo. O ni: oke le nwo, e o wo ’sale. The cripple, to the observation that the load carried atop his head was skewed, directed the observer’s gaze to the legs, saying the top was not the source of the problem, but the legs.

It is a known fact that religious difference has never been an issue in Yorubaland as we all strive to live together peacefully with one another. It is however strange that a small issue like hijab’s will cause unbridled suspicion and animosity in a state that has continued to be known as safest and the most peaceful in the whole of Nigeria.

That Osun is currently embroiled in this imbroglio is traceable to Ogbeni’s strange, untested and controversial education policy of 2013.

In 2013, Aregbe in his effort to “revolutionize” education in the state had rolled out several reforms in the education sector in the state. The reforms include policies on re-classification of schools, merger of schools, common uniform and opon imo (tablets of knowledge) among others.

The schools re-classification policy led to a new school system where we now have the 4-6-3-4 system instead of the usual 6-3-3-4 and 9-3-4 systems. This involved the restructuring of primary and secondary schools into elementary, middle and high schools.

The Elementary Schools cater for pupils grouped into Grades 1 to 4 as against the old Primary 1 – 4. The Middle schools cater for pupils and students who are grouped into Grades 5 to 9 as against the old designation of primary 5 and 6 and JSS 1 – 3. High Schools are grouped into Grades 10 to 12 as against SSS 1 – 3.

The implications of this new school system include the phasing out of single sex schools, the merger of schools within the same geographical location irrespective of their religious or community ownership backgrounds, and demolition of old school structures after students had been relocated to new premises.

A direct result of this is that incongruous schools and students were merged together while pupils now have to walk long distances to get to their new schools.

Perhaps the most controversial of Aregbe’s education policy was the introduction of unified school uniform which can only be sewn by government through its garment factory. With this policy, every students now wear common uniform and identity, no matter what school they go to.

According to Aregbe, “the decision to give the students common uniform was made with the aim of giving them a common identity and purpose, as well as a sense of unity and pride, which had been lost in the decay that set in public schools in Osun before this administration.”

Ordinarily, a common uniform supposed to help prevent gangs from forming on campus, encourage discipline, help students resist peer pressure to buy trendy clothes, help identify intruders in the school, diminish economic and social barriers between students, increase a sense of belonging and school pride and improve attendance.

However, the reverse has been the case in Osun. It has created chaos, general instability and increased level of indiscipline and cultism in many of the merged schools.

When you see students these days, you are unable to tell which school they are from because they all look the same. There have been rampant cases of clashes among students of different religious persuasions. Baptist High School, Iwo and St Mark’s Commercial High School, Oshogbo are examples. There have been cases of frequent instabilities at BHS, Iwo while St Mark’s Osogbo was once shut down after cultists within the school clashed.

There have also been reported cases of miscreants who parade the streets in unified common uniform wreaking havoc because it’s not easy to trace or identify them.

There is no doubt that the hijab controversy in Osun is as a result of this ill-thought-out and poorly-conceived policy of the government. The people of Osun are aware of this, unfortunately many are afraid to speak out against the government. There is however a need to nip it in the bud before it turns violent.

The government of Osun has to swallow its pride, make a U-turn and reverse this unpopular policy. If a policy that was meant to strengthen unity is causing further polarization, it calls for concern. There is an urgent need to restore peace to the state of the living spring and I do not think legal solution is the answer at this time.

In the alternative, government can have a review of the re-classification of school such that congruous schools and students are merged together with liberty to wear hijab, if they so desire.

In conclusion, government needs to consult extensively with public and stakeholders before embarking on policies that can have direct impact on religion, future of our children and the peace of the state. Democracy is a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

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Schools in Osun State should be classified in two 1)Christian Schools 2)Muslim schools.......
Wearing Hijab in Christian Schools is an insult to their faith.

I stand with CAN.

i disagree with CAN

That is the headache of the "all-knowing-Gov Aregbe".

The bottom line is all faiths must wear their religious dresses in accordance with the ruling of Justice Falola, which was based on the protection of religious right of every child as entrenched in the constitution.

When he was merging schools, people saw this happening and he was warned about it and he was forming van daam.

He cannot expel any child from any school on religious ground. The schools are not his father's schools. They are owned by tax payers and all faiths pay their taxes.

We said this all along...

Make an executable plan, test-run it before final execution....

But no, they will not listen just to satisfy their ego...

How in the first place will someone merged school when he has made no provision to contain the situation...

All this is possible with Nigerian politicians...

Build one-room first and continue the remaining part of the plot as 'you-deem-fit'

that exactly is their style...