Parents in Jijimgba, a community in Kuje Area Council of Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), are increasingly withdrawing their children from the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School due to a worsening shortage of teachers, deteriorating infrastructure, and poor learning conditions that have made education almost impossible for the pupils.
A recent visit to the school revealed that the dilapidated classrooms, which were originally constructed 18 years ago using mud blocks through community efforts, have significantly deteriorated over time. Parents voiced their frustration over the lack of maintenance and government intervention, emphasizing that the school is no longer conducive for learning.
Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Mr. Danjuma Enoch Bako, who guided reporters around the school premises, confirmed that the institution is struggling with a dire lack of basic classroom furniture. According to him, overcrowding has further complicated the learning process, as pupils from lower primary levels are now being forced to merge with primary 4 students in a single classroom, making effective teaching nearly impossible.
The situation becomes even more alarming during the rainy season, as severe flooding frequently disrupts lessons and further worsens the already challenging conditions. Pupils and teachers often find themselves struggling to continue their classes in flooded classrooms, with no alternative space available.
“The situation is far worse during the rainy season because pupils in primary 1 to 3 are usually combined with those in primary 4 for lessons. However, when it rains, the classroom floods, making learning impossible,” Bako lamented.
He further disclosed that, although pupils in primary 4, 5, and 6 still have classrooms to use, the roof of the primary 5 classroom was recently destroyed by strong winds, leaving the students vulnerable to the elements and further worsening their learning conditions.
“Most of the classes lack both desks and chairs, making it difficult for pupils to focus. Teachers, on the other hand, have been left with no other option but to sit on the windows while conducting lessons,” he added.
A teacher at the school, Mr. Silas Alkali, who hails from the community, also spoke out about the dire situation, highlighting the severe shortage of teachers required to teach core subjects. According to him, the school, which has a student population of over 161 pupils, is significantly understaffed, with only a handful of teachers available to handle all subjects.
“To make matters worse, we do not have enough teachers. And even those who are officially posted here often request transfers to other schools, leaving only a few of us to manage the entire student population. In fact, apart from me, who happens to be from this community, most of the teachers rarely show up,” Alkali explained.
He further pleaded with the Local Education Authority (LEA) in Kuje to take urgent action by deploying more teachers to the school, stressing that many educators posted to the school end up requesting transfers due to the insecurity challenges faced in the rural community.
An official from the LEA in Kuje, who spoke anonymously, confirmed that the situation has been brought to the attention of the council chairman and other relevant authorities. However, parents remain frustrated over the lack of immediate intervention, with many opting to withdraw their children from the school in search of better educational opportunities elsewhere.
Concerned parents continue to express disappointment, stating that the current state of the school is unacceptable and that the government must take swift action to ensure that the children of Jijimgba receive the quality education they deserve.
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