Anambra Govt Threatens to Suspend  Students Who Obey Monday Sit at Home

The Anambra State Government has threatened disciplinary action against students who stay away from school on Mondays in obedience to the controversial sit-at-home order enforced in parts of the South-East.

Government authorities say any pupil who deliberately misses classes on Mondays may face suspension as the state moves to ensure normal academic activities.

The warning was issued by the Commissioner for Education, Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, during an official visit to two private schools in Onitsha. The schools visited were Mount Olive Schools and Spring Field Academy, both located within the Government Reserved Area of the commercial city.

Chuma-Udeh explained that the move followed a directive from Governor Chukwuma Soludo aimed at ending the disruption caused by the Monday sit-at-home in the state’s education sector. According to her, the state government had summoned the management of the schools to explain why some pupils were still absent from classes at the beginning of the week.

She stressed that the government would no longer tolerate non-compliance with its directive that schools must operate normally on Mondays. The commissioner made it clear that any student who stays away from school without a valid reason would face sanctions.

She warned that “any pupil who stays away from school on Mondays would face disciplinary action.”

Chuma-Udeh added that the measure was necessary to discourage the continued fear that has kept many students at home since the sit-at-home practice began in the region.

“Defaulting pupils will be suspended from school for one week,” she said, noting that the policy would take immediate effect in both public and private schools across the state.

During the meeting, officials of Mount Olive Schools informed the commissioner that attendance on Mondays had improved recently. They said many parents had begun to comply with the state government’s directive.

However, the management of Spring Field Academy told government officials that a number of parents were still hesitant to send their children to school on Mondays due to security concerns.

Both schools assured the Ministry of Education that further steps would be taken to encourage parents and students to obey the directive and return fully to their academic routines.

Meanwhile, the state Ministry of Education also supervised the conduct of the 2026 Transition Placement Examination across several centres in the state.

Chuma-Udeh, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Ifeoma Agbaizu, monitored the exercise at different locations in Awka. The centres visited included the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Demonstration Secondary School, Igwebeze Primary School in Ifite-Awka, and Igwebike Grammar School.

Officials said the examination was conducted smoothly across the centres visited, with no major incidents recorded.