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• Pupils suffer in crumbling classrooms
• Affected community cries out for help
From Sola Ojo, Abuja
In the rural community of Sankwab Runji, Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the crumbling walls of the Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) Primary School stand as a stark reminder of the struggles faced by students and teachers in several rural communities in Nigeria.
Despite the determination and relentless efforts of the community, the school’s precarious state has become a symbol of neglect, threatening the future of its 200 pupils as parents with deep pockets evacuate their children from the school.
For years, the school has operated with partially collapsed walls, exposing students to harsh weather conditions. In the wet season, rainwater floods the classrooms, while cold winds whip through the exposed spaces during the dry season. The challenges are overwhelming, yet the community refuses to give up, believing things will improve in due course.
Established in 1992 with just a block of two classrooms by the government, the school has relied on community efforts to build additional classrooms. The parents believe that with government intervention, the resilience of the students, and the dedication of their teachers, they can inspire change and enable their children to achieve their dreams.
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Speaking on the development, the Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association, Mr Bitrus Magaji, lamented the situation, saying, “We have only four teachers who are making extraordinary efforts to ensure learning continues. Every year, community members make voluntary contributions and provide community service to fix the school, but each year brings new challenges. The school’s makeshift solutions, including holding classes under tree shades, are inadequate. Some parents have been forced to transfer their children to nearby public or private schools, while others remain determined to keep their children in the community school.”
Also sharing his mind, a youth leader in the community, Mr Livinus Achi, expressed frustration and appealed to the state government and local government chairman to intervene. “We have been engaging in community service, but the situation is getting worse. We need the government’s assistance to rebuild our school. That is why we are calling on our Governor, Senator Uba Sani, and the Local Government Chairman, Engineer Bege Joseph, to come to our assistance,” he appealed.
A parent, Mr Joseph Bitrus, decried the state of the 32-year-old school, urging the government, corporate bodies, and spirited individuals to come to its rescue.
As the pupils and teachers in this Zango Kataf elementary school struggle to learn and teach in unbearable conditions, will their cries for help be heard, or will their dreams be crushed by the crumbling walls of their school? Only time will tell.
