It is indisputable that education helps people to become better citizens, get a better-paid job, also to know the difference between good and bad. Thus, an optimal learning environment is one where students develop the skills to contribute to the development of a society and create an opportunity to become successful adults, but the partial resumption of students in Kaduna state proved otherwise as students of Primary 6, Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) II and Senior Secondary School (SSS) II resumed under unhealthy conditions in some schools in the state.
Daylight Reporters’ visit to some of schools in the state; within the metropolis revealed that many schools are in a shabby state with fallen ceilings, cracked walls, fallen walls and blown off of roofs which make the schools unhealthy for teaching and learning. However, if learning environment is to inspire students, one may wonder what inspiration will the students get in an environment that is not conducive. The prevailing situation is far from satisfactory than effective teaching and learning, as gathered by our reporters.
Despite the popular assertion that the benefits of education are societal and personal, and being the reason why government at all levels must rise to the challenge of providing quality and affordable education to its citizenry, but for Local Education Authority (LEA) Maiduguri Road Primary School; not more than 300 metres from the popular Constitution road, the reverse is the case, as the school has suffered neglect by the state government. The said school is in a state of comatose, while some of the classrooms are fast becoming a centre for open defecation and a hideout for hoodlums that is hazardous to human health.
One of the schools which is in similar situation of lack of good learning environment is Jaafaru Estate Primary school, Kabala Costain, while information revealed that the school was last renovated in 2010 through the Education Trust Funds (ETF) Projects. The school is two Kilometers away from the major road.
The dilapidated state of a Junior secondary school in Tudun Nupawa is overwhelmed by the fallen fence of the school and decayed structures, where students received lecture in classrooms with fallen doors, windows and bad roofs. The said school is within Kaduna North local government area of the state with about 3.5 Kilometers to Kano road; the heart of the state. The LEA Chawai Road Primary school in Kaduna South which some parts were renovated in 2017 through Federal Government of Nigeria/ Universal Basic Education (UBEC) Special Intervention, has also suffered neglect, as investigation by Daylight Reporters shows that the stipulated guidelines for the reopening of schools by the Presidential Taskforce/National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) were not met by these schools.
Speaking to Daylight Reporters, Kabiru Al-Mustapha said, the inappropriate attitudes of government are some of the factors contributing to the backwardness of the education system, adding that education is an institution of socialization, a bedrock for a nation’s development.
Speaking in empathy, Al-Mustapha who is an activist explained that once corruption is eroded in the educational sector, Nigeria will be void of corruption. “I have always said that once corruption is eroded in the educational sector, Nigeria will be void of corruption. Corruption starts in our educational system, that is why you find people buy results; engage in all sorts of malpractice. These inappropriate attitudes are some of the factors contributing to the backwardness in our education system. As you can see that the atmosphere in this school (LEA Tudun Nupawa) is not conducive for learning.” He emphasized.
While calling for holistic reform, ranging from the human capacity building to the structural capacity development, he further explained that the most expensive schools in the UK are the public schools. According to him, ” in the developed society, public schools are seen as their heritage, making them to sustain the legacies of these schools, namely: Oxford, Cambridge and Yale Universities are typical examples.”
Al-Mustapha who frowned at the educational system, also explained that the curriculum is faulty, antiquated and lacking innovativeness. “As we don’t have an education curriculum that is Nigerian, rather it is still the pattern given to us by our colonial masters, which is unable to bring solutions to the current global challenges in the Nigerian students at various levels. “We lack enough manpower to bring out the best in our schools.
“My recommendation is that our education system should be handled by people who are properly trained and experienced in education. Just like you can’t bring a lawyer to perform a surgery in the hospital, those who lack training in education should not be allowed to handle education matters in Nigeria. Also, all private primary and secondary schools should be scrapped, the government has the capacity to take care of this. The increase in the numbers of private education institutions is alarming and they’re gradually sending the government educational institutions packing.” He opined.
Cross section of stakeholders who lauded the pronounced resumption of students in Kaduna state said: “It is a good development that the students will be returning to school after about seven months of staying at home. But the obvious fact smiling at us is the ugly state in which the students will meet the schools upon resumption, as some of the schools are seen without roofs, ceiling, chairs, doors, fallen and cracked walls. One would have thought that government will use the Covid-19 period to fix the school for a conducive learning environment. The negligence of government to repairing the schools during the lockdown is a pointer to their lack of quest for education in the state.
Although, the Commissioner for Education in the state, Shehu Usman Muhammad, has reiterated the commitment of the Kaduna state government to revamping the dilapidated schools for learning and teaching.
While speaking on the development, he disclosed that, Kaduna government in its efforts to make public schools conducive for academic activities, has approved the sum of 1.5 Billion Naira for renovating public schools, particularly those whose roofs were blown off by the raining season storms.
He said, Kaduna state Government was aware of schools with challenges caused by the rainstorm, disclosing that thorough stock had already been taken of affected schools , assuring that renovation works will commence immediately, while adding that 125 schools across the state were affected by the rainstorms and being penciled down for renovation.
