Crimes

Lagos govt reopens Chrisland School for JSS3, SS3 students

The Lagos State Ministry of Education has granted permission for students in terminal classes to access Chrisland High School in Opebi, Ikeja, for physical learning ahead of their examinations scheduled to begin soon.

The Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo, made this known via a statement issued on Monday by the Assistant Director, Public Affairs of the ministry, Ganiu Lawal.

It would be recalled that the Lagos State Ministry of Education, on February 12, ordered the temporary closure of Chrisland School, following the death of a student of the school, Whitney Adeniran, on February 9.

Adeniran died during the school’s annual inter-house sports at Agege Stadium in Lagos.

The closure order, according to the ministry, affected only Chrisland High School, Ikeja, and not all the schools operated by the owners, pending the outcome of a full investigation into the incident.

Adefisayo, in an update on the matter on Monday, noted that the “temporary permission to allow the terminal classes comprising JSS3 and SS3 students access to the school is to enable them participate in their terminal examinations.”

She, however, stated that the school would remain closed until all necessary judicial processes superintended over by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice and other ongoing administrative inquests within the purview of the Office of Education Quality Assurance and other agencies were completed.

The commissioner said the ministry, with support of the Lagos State Joint Task Force in charge of the implementation of the child protection policy and safeguarding, would continue to engage with Whitney Adeniran’s family on the case.

According to her, the group is made up of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, such as the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Office of Education Quality Assurance, and others.

Adefisayo further disclosed that arrangements were ongoing for other categories of students to return to school.

It would be recalled that the Office of the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice said a Post Mortem report issued by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), in respect of Whitney’s death, revealed the cause to be Asphyxia and electrocution.

The Lagos State Ministry of Justice has indicated its intention to charge the school, some members of staff, and one of the vendors with negligence, among others, over the incident, following legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

The Star