Kunle Adelabu
It was an emotional moment that once again called for a sober reflection on the state of public schools in Ikorodu Division when the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, His Royal Majesty, Oba Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, paid an unscheduled visit to the Oreyo Junior and Senior Grammar Secondary Schools, Igbogbo in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
The royal father, who was accompanied by members of the Adeboruwa – in – Council and other dignitaries in Igbogbo on the tour of the schools, saw roof that have been blown off, buildings that cannot stand integrity tests, ceilings that are calling for attention and over populated classrooms.
Although, staff members of the school prevented our reporter from taking photographs of the over populated classrooms and students sitting on the floor to receive lessons, but many of the students were shouting at the top of their voices to our reporter to take a look at some of their classes to see the condition under which they are receiving lessons.
Shout of “Please, take our photographs as we are sitting on the ground”, ‘Our roofs are leaking’, ‘We don’t have benches and chairs’ and many more came from the students on seeing our reporter.
The Balogun of Igbogbo, Chief Jelili Oduntan, addressing the staff of the school on behalf of Oba Kasali, queried them on why students were being made to receive lessons in an atmosphere not conducive for learning.
He requested to know the efforts made by the school management so far in calling the attention of necessary authorities to the situation.
In an interview with THE IMPACT on the premises of the schools, Oba Kasali, who nitially was short of words due to the magnitude of decadence he found in the school, stated that what he saw in the school is a prove that government alone cannot correct the enormous challenges facing education.
He then called on the privileged individuals, corporate bodies and groups to come to the aid of the governed and assist the government in developing the educational sector in the state.
“I don’t want to qualify what I have seen, but I think that we still have a very long way to go. What I have seen here is a demonstration of the fact that we must all put our hands on deck to make education of our students worthwhile”, a disappointed royal father said while reflecting on the situation he witnessed at Oreyo Grammar School.
“I have observed here that government alone cannot do it because what I have seen here today is what we have in our schools across Lagos State.
“The fund available to government is not enough to do all that the citizenry are asking for and that’s why I am appealing to our people within our society to come to the aid of our students. Let them come here if they want to do birthday and donate in commemoration of their birthdays and other celebrations”, he appealed.
“They can donate chairs, tables and books for the library. Their celebrations should not be about jamboree or eating alone. We want them to visit schools to donate facilities like chairs, tables and other facilities.
“The roof are leaking. They are about to collapse and are begging for our attentions. We are approaching raining season and the roofs are not there. We want people to come to our aid by fixing them”, Oba Kasali appealed.
“If we allow rain to commence without fixing the roof, what we will spend will be much higher compare to fixing it now.
“I want to appeal to all of us and I’ll also continue to appeal to the government because as an institution, it behooves on them to see to it that structures are put into proper shape.
“We will continue to appeal for collaboration between the government and our people to see to how our students can have a better education”.
The monarch, who stated that he has been able to see the worrisome state of many public schools across Ikorodu division, added that his observations are going to be communicated to the state government for appropriate actions.
“I have seen it all (referring to the state of both Oreyo senior and junior secondary schools) and the first thing that we are going to do is to communicate with the government on our observations. Definitely, I am going to liaise with the appropriate authority through the line of communication opened for us to bring up such an issue.
“We are going to explore the communication channel and we believe that with the present commitment of the government and attention that they have promised to give to education, they will remedy the situation here so that emergency will not be declared on education.
“I know that the government of today, under the administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will act on it and this school will definitely be a beneficiary of whatever arrangement that they have made for improvement of education in the state”.
THE IMPACT gathered that the Principal of the school was away at a meeting in Alausa when the royal father tour the school.
Meanwhile, in a phone conversation with Mrs Anike Adekanye, the Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary, Education District II, Maryland, comprising secondary schools in Ikorodu, Shomolu and Kosofe, she stated that the government is doing everything to give Lagosians quality education.
“The government of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu is working to improve our schools in the state. The government is doing something drastic in this regard.
“I can assure you that the government is doing everything possible to ensure that our children are given quality education. I must also state here that the government has been responding to the needs of schools under Education District II and we believe God will enable the governor to do more”, she stated while thanking our reporter for the call.
Mrs Adekanye also directed our reporter to the Ministry of Education for further information.
Meanwhile, the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo via an SMS informed THE IMPACT that the Lagos State Government has set up a committee to look the challenges confronting schools.
“The Government has set up a committee to address the poor infrastructure in some of our schools. They are working on over 300 schools” she stated.
Aside Oreyo Junior and Senior Primary Schools, many other primary and secondary schools in Ikorodu Division are in bad shape and in dire need of urgent government. Among these schools are Aga Primary School, Aga in Ikorodu, African Bethel Church Primary School, Ota-Ona, Ikorodu, Temidire Primary School, Ikorodu, Oshosolu Primary School, Erunwen, Ikorodu, UPE Primary School, Cole Village, Ajagunro, Ikorodu, Methodist Primary School, Elepe in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, Zumratul Islamiyyah Primary School, Odogunyan, Farm Settlement Primary School.
Others are Odogunyan, Ahmadiyya Primary School, Ijede, Anglican Primary School, Ijede, Agbede Junior and Senior Grammar School, Agbede in Ikorodu North LCDA, Oga Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in Ikorodu, Keme Balogun High School, Ibeshe in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, United High School and Ikorodu Grammar School in Ikorodu.
These schools are currently facing the challenges of dilapidated structures, lack of infrastructures like desks, chairs, toilet facilities as well as shortage of classrooms and teachers.
