The Lagos State Government has ordered the reopening of all Chrisland School branches it ordered shut in the wake of a viral child pornography video involving some students of the school.
Recall that pupils from the Victoria Garden City branch of the school embarked on a trip to Dubai to participate in the World School Games between March 10 and 13, 2022 where some of them were involved in a recorded sexual act in a hotel room.
Following the spread of the video on the social media and the attendant outrage and embarrassment it generated, the school suspended the 10-year-old female “active participant” in the indecent act while the government went a step further by shutting down all the branches of the school in the state.
However, in a press statement issued by the state ministry of education on Saturday and signed by its commissioner, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, the government said the school should be reopened “to ensure that students are not denied access to learning when the new term begins on Monday 25th April 2022.”
She also said the government had reviewed the “ongoing administrative investigation into the incident,” adding that “the ministry of education and other relevant agencies of the state, in conjunction with the school’s Parent Teachers Association, will be working on scheduled psychosocial support for the students.”
The statement reads: “The Lagos State ministry of education has directed that all Chrisland Schools shut for alleged misconduct of some students in Dubai be reopened from Monday, April 25th, 2022.
“The directive follows a review of the ongoing administrative investigation into the incident. Besides, it is to ensure that students are not denied access to learning when the new term begins on Monday 25th April 2022.
“The state government shut the schools for the safety of students and the staff and to ensure unhindered investigation of the incident.
“The ministry of education and other relevant agencies of the State, in conjunction with the school’s Parent Teachers Association, will be working on scheduled psychosocial support for the students.
“An extensive assessment of the school’s procedure, especially on external trips and excursions, is being made to identify safety gaps and prevent such incidents.
“Besides, the ministry will launch the reviewed guidelines/protocols governing private and public schools across the state within the next one month.”
