Shanties called Abesan estate schools

For pupils of Abesan Primary School, Estate Primary School, and the Housing Primary School, Ipaja, Lagos, learning is a nightmare, FOLASHADE ADEBAYO writes

When the bell chimes at 8am every school day, pupils of Abesan Primary School, Estate Primary School and Housing Primary School, in Ipaja, Mosan/Okunola Local Government Area of Lagos, do not first rush for the assembly ground.

There is always a ritual for them to perform. With brooms, buckets of water and dusters, they begin their day in the school by sweeping, dusting and clearing their classrooms of excreta, condoms, Indian hemp wraps as well as soap and sponges.

This rite took place on Thursday just as it has become a routine for the pupils in recent times. Indeed, street urchins, touts and area boys have turned the large premises housing the three schools into comfort zone for relaxation where all manner of vices takes place. The situation, our correspondent gathered, has put both the pupils and their teachers in a tight corner as they now live in mortal fear.

“You can’t stay here alone in this school once it is 3pm,” says one of the teachers who craved anonymity for security reasons

Another teacher, who prefers not to be named for fear of harm, says the schools have been burgled so many times that the generator and a set of computer presented to the schools by the local government had to be kept at another location.

She says, “Right now, pupils attend a computer centre in the estate for their computer class three times in a term.

“Just this year, a company donated more than 200 cartons of milk to the school through the local government. You won’t believe that the hoodlums broke into the head teacher’s office through the roof and stole 21 cartons. They also stole his radio.

“We do not have a fence, so the touts come in anytime they want. The pumping machine was stolen the very day it was donated to us. We have been writing to the local government on the issue but we have yet to receive a response.”

As the pupils and their teachers battle with this ugly routine, they also face the problem of decrepit infrastructure in the premises. When our correspondent visited on Thursday, odour from urine and excreta fouled the air toward the back of the school, which has large gaping portions.

Again, wobbling structures and broken roofs are common characteristics in the three schools. The schools, which do not signpost, however, have a small gate and an uncompleted fence in many sections of the large compound. One of the structures, which used to be a classroom, has caved in; while another block of classrooms looks ready to collapse.

Beside the building, a pupil stepped out and stooped to urinate. Though a toilet facility is under construction, it was gathered that the three schools currently share a single latrine. In all the classrooms, large portions of the ceilings are missing, a factor that exposes the pupils to the scorching heat.

Whenever it rains, teaching stops automatically, even as the gust blows the heavy rain into the classrooms.

Speaking to our correspondent, some pupils say they are usually soaked with rain even when they huddle in a corner of the classrooms.

A basic six pupil, (name withheld), says she would like the state and local government to come to their aid.

“The ceiling and the floor in my class are not good at all. When rain falls, the breeze carries the rain into our classes and we get wet. We also want the government to provide security for us. We do not have guards anymore. The area boys sleep, excrete and take their bath in our classes. We have to sweep and clean the classrooms every morning,’’ she says.

Attempts to speak with the head teacher to confirm the observations were not successful.

Another teacher hiding under the cover of anonymity says civil service rule does not permit her to speak on such matters. While commending the local government for bridging the gaps in many areas, she says there is the need to make the school secure for learning.

She adds, “If you look around here, you will see that the local government has done a lot for our schools. The Parents Forum has also helped us in many areas, but we need a school fence. We used to have day and night guards, but they have since retired and there has been no replacement. We also do not have teachers. Clerks teach subjects in this school. I felt embarrassed when I received my posting to the school.’’

Speaking to our correspondent on the telephone, the Supervisory Councillor for Education in the local government, identified simply as Mr. Azeez, says the schools have no security challenges.

“That information is not correct. What happened was that during the holiday, there was a heavy rain and the roofing fell. We immediately took steps to replace the roof, but the teachers later called our attention to a spot that was leaking and we sent our engineers, who gave us a quotation. We have submitted the quotation, but this thing is a process. No hoodlum comes into the class, it is not possible,’’ he says.

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