(PHOTOS) Exposed: The wretched State of Primary Schools In Nasarawa State Where Pupils Sit on Bare floor To Study

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Rabiu Omaku

  • Mai Rafi Islamiya Primary School Lafia An Example, Where There Are Dilapidated Structures, Falling Roofs, No Desks-Investigation

school“The glaring decay in our public schools has attendant consequences on the education of our children” Stating that with the state- of-the-art equipment aimed at providing conducive environment for teaching and learning. This singular Government effort was made possible through the payment of the backlog of the counterpart contribution which facilitated access to the funding of the Universal Basic Education scheme”.

The above statement was that of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa state during the commissioning of Girl-Child Model Secondary School, Kwandare recently.

Al-Makura attested that he has embarked on a rapid construction, rehabilitation and provision of infrastructural facilities in schools across the State; he further opined that Government will continue to evolve policies and programmes that will elevate the educational enrolment of children, embarked on aggressive renovation of the dilapidated structures in public primary and secondary schools across the State.

school2He further asserted that the state Government has procured furniture and instructional materials as well embarked on the training and retraining of teachers to enable them to give their best to the society.

However, universalreporters247.com investigations and findings showed that there may not truth in the Governor’s statement as he claims of taking care of education in the State may after all be cosmetic approach, or in the other angle that the persons he has saddled with that are not doing enough.

school3Universalreporters247.com findings reveals that even under the governor’s backyard in Lafia which is the State capital, school children are sitting under bare floor to take lessons, as well falling roofs under their heads. Not done with that there are dilapidated structures seen abound in the school.

For instance a visit to a primary school in Lafia the State capital was indeed an eyesore. When universalreporters247.com visited Mai Rafi Islamiya Primary school Lafia, it was indeed an eyesore as the school’s roofs are already falling roofs, there were also cracked walls as well as other dilapidated structures were rampant in the school.

More so the school has shortage of chairs even though it has twelve numbers of classrooms in its entirety but six of the classes which are bad and dilapidated were locked by the school for fear of being collapse.  The school is pathetic that their situations far-fetched that will make one to begin to begin wonder if really the claim by the current government that it is carrying out renovation and rehabilitation of schools in the state are true after all.

school5A class teacher in the school who pleaded anonymity told universalreporters247.com that no fewer than fifty pupils has since been removed by their parents from the school due to shortage of classrooms and outlook of the school environment.

The first classroom block that housed the office of the head teacher has decayed structure including one out of the structure whose ceiling was destroyed by termite as it is now beyond repair. There has not been any effort made towards addressing the gory situation as class six students’ study under the dilapidated structures.

school6More so, it is an eyesore when you set your feet into the sandy premises of Mai Rafi Islamiya Primary school, Lafia even as the school is in the centres of schools from all directions sharing boundaries with Housing Unit Primary school from the West, Dunama primary and Junior secondary school from the North, but it has been  overridden   with sand causing gridlock to students and pupils alike while another segment of the three (3) classroom block locked by school authority over the pathetic condition of the classrooms.

One out of the three classroom occupied by class one pupils where pupils were seen sitting on tarpaulin (polythene) provided by the school authority, As at press time scores of class one pupils are sitting on bare floor while few were seated on the available seats numbering about nine desk, An investigation revealed that over fifty five pupils are in the register of class one, vast of the pupils were seen battling with the reflection of early morning sunshine.

What is the fate of pupils of class one with the roof which is wearing away that exposed them to danger as this year rainy season is around the corner ? Further finding also unfolded that two classrooms from the fourth segment of the three (3) classroom block was sealed due to serious cracks while one outdated classroom with only six desks was occupied by pupils of class five.

school7The nagging question that needed an answer are these, is Mai Rafi Islamiya Primary School not among the school with major challenges?  Was the school excluded from the primary schools to benefit from the hands of fellowship of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura renaissance of public schools? The acute shortage of furniture’s (desk) is a cause for concern as a class teacher’s lament over the negligence of the school.

Is longer news that the introduction of free primary and secondary education in the state has given rise to the increase spate of school enrolment in Nasarawa state, It would be recalled that the incumbent administration in frantic approach to curb inadequate chairs in Junior secondary and primary schools awarded a contract for the supply of 65,000 chairs and desk to the tune of N1.6bn for onward distribution to schools two years after but the question that solicited for answer is this, what has continued to hamper the supply of the seats as money earmarked for the chairs has since been released.

The sharp practices surrounding the award of the 65,000 chairs formed the basis why fourth session of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly wanted  to impeach the state Governor.

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