Special Report: School In Kwara Community Where Pupils Sit On Bare Floor “To learn,” Teachers Sit On Windows

Despite the huge amount of money the Kwara State Governmen says it has spent in the educational sector in recent years through its KwaraLearn Programme which the state claims was incorporated into the system for better learning, some schools in the state remain comatose.

According to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation [UNESCO], there are about 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria as stated in its latest global data.

A significant percentage of out-of-school children in Kwara State are mostly from core Kwara North, a region that is difficult to reach owing principally to dilapidated road infrastructures.

Kanbi is a community in the Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State.

An investigation by Afrika Eyes revealed the poor state of educational facilities in Kwara State whilst classrooms are terribly overcrowded due to the number of pupils in a single classroom. In fact, an entire school has only one classroom where Nursery 1 to Primary 6 scramble for space.

The situation in Kanbi Primary Schools is totally horrible and not conducive for learning. The entire school structure seems to be the worst amongst public primary schools in Kwara State.

According to Kwara State Government, the KwaraLearn programme was introduced to improve learning outcomes for public school children across the state.

KwaraLearn Project is said to be deploying 21st century technology to support teachers and schools, and this supposedly took off in the first quarter of 2022, but such deployment and provision are not visible in Kanbi LGEA Primary School.

Kwara State Government in 2022 budgeted a total sum of N189.4 billion as passed by the State House of Assembly, out of which the sum of N34.8 billion, representing 18 per cent of the total budget outlay earmarked for the education sector.

This is against the sum of N137.6 billion budgeted for 2021, out of which the sum of N34.25 billion, representing 25.5 per cent of the budget was earmarked for the education sector.

However, today, it is the same story of woe, failure and disappointment from the primary school level which has continually been hamstrung by a myriad of challenges triggered by lack of funding on the part of the State Government.

LGEA kanbi Primary School

This school has only one classroom, with over 50 to 100 pupils learning on a bare floor. The class has no chairs, desks, windows or doors, and the whole structure of the school is dilapidated. In fact, the empty building previously served as a bedroom for mentally challenged persons.

The school only has three teachers and there is no staff room in the compound where the teachers can sit, so they are forced to sit on the window.

More curious is that students are promoted in the same classroom. What this means is that students continue to use the same class along with their juniors even after they have been “promoted.”

 Kanbi Community Leaders
Alhaji Saliu Kanbi is the Head of Kanbi Community, whilst speaking to Afrika Eyes, he said: “People have been coming here with empty promises, but I pray that we should have a positive change this time. This is the first public primary school in the community, you can see how the structure looks like, nothing to write home about.

“And this school brought everybody together in the community. But we lack social amenities in this community like pipe-borne water, and we don’t have any healthcare facility in Kanbi.

“Kanbi has become a big town, but as you can see, the school has no ceiling, the floor is a cluster, and there are no windows and doors. Mentally challenged people used the class as their apartment.

“Since the school is not conducive for learning no one is willing to enroll their wards there.”

He, however, urged the State Government to come to their aid, as they are helpless to build another school for their children.

Usman Adisa Magaji Kanbi, a stakeholder in the community laments “This is the only classroom that was given to us in Kanbi as big as the community is, how can the teacher promote students in a single classroom?

“Many parents withdrew their wards since the school is not conducive enough for learning, they complained that their children always come home with dirty uniforms.
“Look at everywhere, no ceiling, no window and door.

“The last time a mentally ill person came here to chase both the teachers and the students out of the classroom, they called me to come and help them chase him away.

“It is very disappointing to hear that Kanbi only has one classroom for 50 pupils, it’s really bad and the situation is worrisome,” he said.

LGUBEA Primary School Kanbi
The LGUBEA Hausa Primary School, Kanbi, has one classroom for over 500 pupils sitting on broken chairs whilst some sit on the floor to learn. The poor state of infrastructure in the school is terrible.

Most pupils in this school sit on the bare floor in an extremely overcrowded classroom, regardless of whether the weather is cold or hot.

The head Mistress in LGUBEA Hausa Primary school, Kanbi, refused to grant Afrika Eyes reporter audience due to “orders from above”. But it is obvious that the school needs immediate attention.

Alhaji Bashiru Suleiman
Alhaji Bashiru Suleiman, another leader in the community, who spoke to Afrika Eyes, said:
“We are pleading with the State Government to please build more classrooms for our children. It is very unfortunate that over 500 pupils are using one classroom for learning.

“The school has only four teachers, we need more. The pupils are suffering, no drinkable water for them at school.

“Our children, especially during the raining reason, run helter-skelter on rainy days. There is no place for them to hide as the roof of the building leaks heavily.

“We built a small hut for them to stay but the wind blew it away.

“We are calling on the government or any philanthropist who has interest in education to help us out of this situation.

Musa Makana PTA Chairman
Musa Makana, the PTA Chairman also spoke to Afrika Eyes, saying:
“I’m worried about the situation of this school, we have one classroom for 500 pupils.
“There is no space for them to learn, and the community has no secondary school.”