Kunle Adelabu
It was unbelievable but true that in some schools in Lagos State, more than 100 pupils are receiving lessons daily in a class due to lack of classrooms and many of them sit on the floor due to unavailability of furniture.
This is what is being experienced in the six Local Government and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of Ikorodu Division for some years now.
While the issue of UPE Primary School, Cole Village, Ajagunro, Ikorodu, where pupils were photographed sitting on tyres went viral last week and still fresh in the memories of many, another case of sheer neglect of pupils by the government at the Methodist Primary School, Elepe in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, surfaced on Thursday (yesterday).
The pupils of the school which is located in Elepe community along Ijede road, were photographed sitting on the floor and according to sources, they have been sitting on the floor for many years and all efforts to draw the attention of both the local and state governments to need for the provision of new structure and furniture in the school has proved abortive.
It was also gathered that the school, despite being fenced recently, is being disturbed by flood whenever it rains.
THE IMPACT gathered that the school is always a no-go area for staff and pupils when it rains as the entire premises and classrooms are submerged by flood
Speaking with THE IMPACT, a whistle blower alleged that the community and parents have done everything possible to call the attention of both local government and state to the plight of pupils and teachers in the school and need to provide new structure and furniture but there has been no response.
“This is not new and your news medium and others have written about the school’s challenges. Parents and community have also called the attention of both the local and state governments to it but there has been no result”, the whistleblower alleged.
He also stated that most of the classes in the school are overcrowded and not conducive for learning.
“In many of these classes, we have over 200 pupils in a class. That’s not good for the pupils’ health. More so, there is no how they can assimilate anything as the teachers operate under very unconducive situations”, he added.
A community activist, who also did not want his name in print, told THE IMPACT that they had been given several unfulfilled promises regarding the challenges facing the school.
“I cannot begin to count efforts that we have made to call government’s attention to the state of the school which is the only public primary school serving our area”, he said.
“We have also called the attentions of our representatives to the state of the school and we are still expecting their responses.
“What we are told last was that they would include it in the council’s budget for this year. We hope that they would live up to their promise this time around”.
While responding to the issue of lack of classrooms and furniture, Hon. Monsor Kolejo, representing Ward C5 under which Elepe falls in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, stated that he had made serious efforts to intervene in the challenges of the school.
He also stated that allocation has been made for the construction of new classrooms and provision of furniture in the 2020 budget of the council.
“I have made serious efforts to get necessary government quarters in providing new structure and furniture in the school and the other primary school in Igbe which is also under my ward as well as the Secondary School. They have assured us that they will intervene and we are hoping on that”, a Hon. Kolejo stated.
“We have pleaded that benches and desks should be urgently provided for the pupils in that school”, he stated while confirming the plight of the pupils of Methodist Primary School, Elepe.
“We have also made provision for a new building and furniture in the 2020 budget of the council. We pray that God assist us”, the Councillor prayed.
Speaking on phone with Dr Saheed Ibikunle, member of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LSUBEB), he stated that he has taken up the matter.
“I have taken up the matter since my attention was brought to it earlier today (Thursday) and I thank you for also calling concerning it. Information like this makes our job easier. We welcome it when our attention is called to situations in our schools for prompt redress”, Dr Ibikunle stated.
He disclosed that LSUBEB has been intervening in some schools in Ikorodu.
“We have been intervening in some schools in Ikorodu. A case is the UPE Primary School, Cole Village, Ajagunro, Ikorodu. We have donated some benches and chairs to that school which are donated to us by a council chairman outside Ikorodu, even though a contractor is already working on furniture for the school.
“This is in addition to the capturing of the school in the 2019 intervention project for construction of classrooms and provision of furniture”, he stated.
Dr Ibikunle enjoin council chairmen, councilors and other stakeholders in Ikorodu to always bring the LSUBEB attention to any school in need of intervention for necessary action.
In an interview recently with one of the leading educationist in Ikorodu Division, Alhaji Amusa M.T Olawale, he stated that no effective teaching can be achieved when class is overcrowded.
“When classes are over populated, there can never be effective teaching for pupils in primary level because of their age”
Meanwhile, as at the time of publishing this story, Builder Sesan Daini, Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, was yet to respond to our reporter’s message on the council’s intervention at Methodist Primary School, Elepe, so far and the council’s plan in addressing the infrastructural deficit in the school sent to him on Thursday.
