Sallah, School Breaks, and the Cost to Learning
When state governments in Nigeria grant extended school breaks for the Sallah festival, it ignites a debate that goes far beyond religious observance. These decisions, often framed as gestures of goodwill, carry significant and often unexamined costs: disrupted academic calendars, measurable learning loss for students, and deep constitutional questions about the role of religion in a secular state's public education system. This post analyzes the true cost of these holiday extensions.