Students stay away in Calabar despite school resumption

Schools in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, have expressed displeasure at the low turnout of students and pupils two days after the official reopening for academic activities for the second term of the 2024/2025 academic year.

In some of the schools visited by The Guardian in Calabar, it was observed that some classes recorded only two students or pupils while others were yet to reopen.

At the Government Primary School, Akim, the head teacher, Mrs Dorothy Esuku, said that the low turnout of pupils has disrupted operations of the school for the term according to the academic calendar.

She added that findings revealed that the absence of children from schools was a result of a lack of transportation and other basic requirements from parents who travelled for the Christmas holidays.

The Principal of the University of Calabar International Demonstration Secondary School, Calabar, Mr Martins Ropo and Mrs Rekpen James of Cricreks Foundation Schools, Calabar,  said teaching and learning began the first day of resumption, adding that modalities have been put in place to ensure that the latecomers are carried along to meet up with the school calendar.

They appealed to parents to release their children and wards to be equipped to compete with their counterparts globally.

Some parents and guardians, who spoke to The Guardian in Calabar, attributed the situation to the lack of funds to prepare the children for the term.

Some of them who travelled for the Christmas holidays lamented the high cost of transportation back to their base, while others attributed it to the high cost of living, as well as transportation to and from school, among others.

They, however, appealed to the state government to ensure the proper implementation of the new national minimum wage, as what was paid to them last month was way below their expectations.