Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
There was a low turnout of pupils in several public schools across Oyo State on Thursday, July 2, 2026, despite the resumption of academic activities following the suspension of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) strike.
A visit by The Nation to several public schools in Ibadan showed that while teachers had returned to their duty posts in compliance with the union's directive, pupil attendance remained below expectations.
At Community Primary School, Ikolaba, Head Teacher Mrs Ladi Temilade expressed delight over the resumption of classes, noting that members of staff were pleased to be back at work after the industrial action. She said the school was optimistic that pupil attendance would improve in the coming days as parents and guardians become aware that academic activities have fully resumed.
She attributed the low turnout to the sudden and immediate call-off of the strike, noting that many of the learners were not prepared for the immediate announcement as some of them might have embarked on forced holiday. Also speaking, the Principal of Ikolaba High School, Mrs Rachael Oni, confirmed that attendance by learners was low. She also confirmed that all the teachers and staff members reported for duty as directed, but that both the teachers and few students around have been embarking on cleaning of the classrooms and offices after the month-long forced holiday.
She explained that the low turnout of students may be due to what she described as the late announcement of the suspension of the strike, expressing optimism that schools would witness full attendance by both teachers and learners from Monday.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Segun Olayiwola, appealed to the leadership of teachers and stakeholders in the state to intensify their efforts to ensure that teachers are back to schools in good time. He called on teachers and learners in the state for their support in ensuring that nothing hindered the smooth running of education in the state and assured that he would do everything possible to secure the release of the teachers and pupils in captivity.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers had earlier directed its members across Oyo state to resume work after suspending the industrial action that disrupted academic activities in public primary and secondary schools. The union had embarked on an indefinite strike on June 1 in solidarity with the teachers and students abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo state. Although the union directed its members to return to the classroom, many parents appear to have kept their children at home, resulting in the low turnout recorded on the first day of resumption.
The abductions occurred on May 15, 2026, when armed men attacked three schools in Esiele and Yawota communities, taking 39 pupils and seven teachers captive. One of the teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later killed by the abductors. The NUT President, Titus Amba, said the strike was suspended after dialogue with the government and consideration for children who had remained at home. "We have done one of the most important things, which is to show solidarity with our colleagues. We have also had dialogue with the government. We decided to call off the strike because of the little ones who remain at home and can't go to school because of the incident," he said.
The Oyo State Government had also commended the NUT for suspending the strike, with Commissioner for Information Dotun Oyelade stating that the decision had saved the state from the double jeopardy of the kidnapping incident and the negative social consequences of having students remain idle and vulnerable.
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