The Kaduna State Government has directed secondary schools to open on Aug. 18, to enable Junior Secondary School III (JSS III) students sit for their Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE).

The Commissioner for Education, Dr Shehu Muhammad, gave the directive in a statement made available to journalists in Kaduna on Wednesday.

“The Kaduna State Ministry of Education has approved the resumption of JSS III students who are scheduled to write the 2021 National Examination Council’s BECE between Aug. 23 and Sept. 6, 2021.

“Secondary Schools are hereby directed to resume operations, but only for JSS III students,with effect from Aug. 18,” he said.

Muhammad added that the students should be informed to appear in mufti.

The state government had on Aug. 9, directed that all primary and secondary schools should remain closed until security situation in the state improves.

The commissioner had explained that the schools were earlier scheduled to reopen on Aug. 9, but that the ministry had not received clearance as there was an ongoing security operation across the state.