The Lagos State Ministry of Education has granted permission for students in terminal classes to access Chrisland High School, Opebi, Ikeja, for physical learning ahead of their examinations due to begin soon.
The Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, made this known in a statement on Monday, signed by Mr Ganiu Lawal, Assistant Director, Public Affairs of the Ministry.
Recall that the Lagos State Ministry of Education, on Feb. 12, ordered the temporary closure of Chrisland School, Opebi-Ikeja, following the death of a student of the School, Whitney Adeniran, on Feb. 9.
Adeniran died during the school’s annual inter-house sports at Agege Stadium, 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 unfortunate incident.
Adefisayo, in an update on the matter on Monday, explained the reason for the new decision to grant permission to some students to access the school in Ikeja.
“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,” the commissioner is quoted as saying.
She, however, hinted that the school would remain closed until all necessary judicial processes superintended over by the State’s 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 that 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 also disclosed in the statement that arrangements were ongoing for other categories of students to return to school.
Recall that the Office of the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice had said that a Post Mortem report issued by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, in respect of Whitney’s death, revealed the cause to be Asphyxia and electrocution.
The 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.
