The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Law provides that education in a conducive and attractive environment should be the fundamental rights of every child. , It was reports that this right is not available for pupils of St Thomas Catholic Nursery and Primary School, Odo Oro-Ekiti in Ikole local government area of Ekiti state as the three blocks of classrooms have been in a deplorable state for years.
“You can see the state of the buildings in our school and if you come here whenever there is rainfall, you will pity the pupils and the teachers. We will have to move the children to nearby houses for cover because the roofs in the classes are leaking and everywhere will be flooded, of course, that will be end of any form of academic exercise for the day.”
These was the revelation of the head teacher of St Thomas Catholic Nursery and Primary School Odo Oro-Ekiti , Chief Idowu Adeyemi when he summed up the harrowing and unpleasant experience of pupils attending the school due to the dilapidated and horrible state of the only three blocks of classrooms visible in the school.
The school founded in 1954, as of the 2021/2022 academic session, had a population of 242 pupils with 10 staff members who explained that they are facing serious challenges, which have made learning extremely difficult for pupils, especially due to the roof of the buildings that had been blown off .
According to the people in the community, the disturbing situation has, in no small measure, affected the fortune of the school especially in the area of enrolment due to continuous neglect, alleging that efforts by stakeholders in the community to draw attention of the state government to the problem have not been successful.
Nigerian Tribune findings show that parents and guardians have been withdrawing their wards to other schools especially privately-owned primary schools in the area. Aside the reduction in number of enrolment, the pupils have also faced difficulties in meeting up with their colleagues in other schools academically as the school management, due to the shortfalls, is forced to combine at least three classes in one classroom, using what it described as a multi-grade teaching method.
And according to the people, the situation in St Thomas Catholic Nursery and Primary School is contrary to the state government’s claim that enrolment in public primary school increased from 106,271 in 2018 to 141,982 in 2021, adding that more need to be done in protecting public schools in the state from facing further neglect especially those in the rural communities.
Speaking further on the condition of the school, the head teacher explained that the school was left with no other option than to put the pupils in the classrooms regardless of their grades just to accommodate them in the school, commending the old students association under the leadership of Prince Segun Okunoye for renovating a block of three classrooms which was recently delivered to the school, adding that chairs and tables are needed for them to use the renovated classrooms.
“I must confess to you that it is not convenient for us teaching these pupils because of lack of conducive classrooms. In fact, what we have been doing is multi-grade teaching, which is the combination of two or more classes of pupils in the same classroom; you should know how difficult that could be.
“We have a total population of 242 pupils as of last session with 10 staff but our condition is not palatable here. We have made several efforts to government through SUBEB but nothing has happened over the years; they only come to mark the buildings for possible renovation and we won’t see them,” she added.
The state government recently approved the establishment of a Model College in the community as part of measures to offer the the children quality and affordable education. However, the traditional ruler, parents of pupils and the entire community are clamoring for urgent attention for the primary school in the interest of the children who were being made to face excruciating condition in their quest to acquire basic education over the years.
We need urgent Govt attention in the school – traditional ruler
The Onise of Odo Oro-Ekiti, Oba Babatunde Jemilehin, who lamented the unpleasant experience of the pupils due to the deplorable classrooms especially during rainy season, said solid and conducive infrastructures remain one of the indices in measuring the standard of education in any society.
While commending the old students for the timely gesture of renovating the block of classrooms as the pupils resume for the new academic session, the traditional ruler reiterated the need for the state government to act fast in giving the pupils a befitting and conducive learning environment.
“The buildings in the primary school have been dilapidated for a long while. That has been a source of concern to the school management and me, as the traditional ruler of the town and the generality of the Odo Oro Ekiti indigenes. The harrowing experience of the pupils and the effects on their psychology as they visit other schools with good structures cannot be overemphasised. Their teachers too are not left out in the trauma of teaching drenched pupils whenever it rains. It is in the spirit of this understanding that I am making this passionate appeal to the government to come to the aid of our primary schools in Odo Oro Ekiti.
“Now that the pupils are resuming, one can therefore imagine what the feelings will be as some pupils will be housed in the newly renovated block of classrooms, while the others will be allotted classes in the old dilapidated blocks. The government should act fast. This is our Macedonia call on the state government: please come to Odo Oro Ekiti and help our primary schools,” he said.
Govt has neglected us – PTA chairman
The chairman of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Chief Ayodele Ogunleye expressed regret that previous moves by the association to draw government’s attention to the bad condition of buildings in the school had been unsuccessful, adding that there was nothing the parents could do.
“We have to commend the old students who just renovated a block but the remaining ones are in a bad situation. As parents, at times when there is rain, we will nearly be crying seeing what our children are passing through in their classrooms, they will be drenched and we are not comfortable with it,” Ogunleye said.
Asked whether the parents attempted to gather resources and renovate the buildings, the PTA chairman added, “ you should know that is not possible because we are poor people and that is why you still see our children in the school even in the face of the terrible situation, we don’t have the money to do it or even send them to private school.”
Govt renovating the school will encourage pupils to learn – Alumni
The coordinator of the Old Students Association, Segun Okunoye said the state government should consider the future of the pupils who were being exposed to difficult environment in acquiring basic education, which he said is key in anyone’s life.
“Our passionate appeal to the state government is to assist, and very urgently too, in renovating the remaining buildings in the school because doing that will encourage the pupils to learn more and fast and also boost the morale of the teachers of this school,” said Okunoye.
He added: “We are very mindful of the feelings the renovated block of classrooms will have on the students, who will be allotted classes in the block on one hand, and their counterparts, who will be retained in the old structures. This is the more reason why our call for the immediate intervention of the state government and other relevant agencies becomes very imperative. It is therefore on that note that we want to call on the state government, the State Universal Primary Education Board and other governmental agencies that are stakeholders in the administration of primary school education, to urgently come and assist in renovating the remaining buildings in this school,” he stated.
Renovation work awarded to contractor – Govt
The government, through the Education Secretary in the local government, Remi Oguntuase, while sympathising with parents, pupils and teachers of the school over the poor condition of the buildings, revealed that the contract for the renovation had been awarded by SUBEB, adding that government was aware of the state of the classrooms in the school. He assured parents and other stakeholders in the community that the contractor would soon commence work on the buildings.
“It is a pitiable situation no doubt, but I can tell you that the chairman of SUBEB, Professor Femi Akinwumi is so much interested in the renovation of this school and it has been awarded but we are waiting for the contractor to resume work. We have completed 2018 project year and currently on the 2020/2021 and 2022 project cycle will start soon. The action plan has been drawn and some of these schools were captured. We are hopeful that the projects will start soon even before the expiration of tenure of the present administration on October 16,” he said.
As the pupils resume for the start of the new 2022/2023 academic session, the community is hoping that government would make renovating the school and others a priority by quickly mobilising the contractor to site.
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