The Anambra State Government’s decision to ban Monday school closures and threaten salary cuts is a bold signal of intent to restore normalcy. However, policy firmness without matching security guarantees risks shifting the burden of insecurity onto teachers and education workers who are already operating under fear.
For more than four years, the Monday sit-at-home has thrived not because citizens reject governance, but because the threat of violence by unknown gunmen has been real, persistent, and often deadly. In this context, ordering compulsory resumption, without first neutralising the security risks, creates a moral and practical dilemma. Workers are asked to choose between their livelihoods and their lives.
If the government truly wants schools open and learning uninterrupted, security must lead policy, not trail it.
First, the state must decisively confront the insecurity driving non-compliance. This means intelligence-led operations against unknown gunmen, dismantling their networks, and sustaining a visible security presence around schools, major roads, and public institutions, especially on Mondays. Sporadic patrols are not enough; what is required is predictable, consistent protection that rebuilds public confidence.
Second, the government should provide clear guarantees to education workers. This includes:
- State-backed insurance cover for teachers and non-teaching staff against injury or death linked to workplace attendance.
- Compensation frameworks for families affected by violence or accidents arising from official duties.
- Emergency response systems and hotlines tied directly to security agencies on school routes.
Such measures would signal that the state is not merely enforcing obedience, but sharing risk and responsibility.
Third, engagement matters. Dialogue with teachers’ unions, school administrators, community leaders, and parents can help tailor security solutions that reflect local realities. Communities that feel protected are far more likely to comply willingly than those threatened with sanctions.
Education is too critical to be sustained by fear. While discipline and accountability are necessary in public service, they must be matched with a credible social contract: if workers show up, the state must show up even more, armed with protection, support, and empathy.
Until insecurity is confronted head-on and workers are assured that their safety is non-negotiable, salary threats may enforce attendance on paper, but they will not deliver genuine stability. Real normalcy in Anambra will come not just from decrees, but from security, trust, and shared responsibility.
