A red car, Nissan Sunny slowly moves into this community, Dagbaja, Ipetu-Ijesha predominantly characterised by deplorable roads, mud-cement houses, a painted primary health care centre and some houses with detached roofs, damaged windows and faulty doors.
Three boys and four girls between the ages of five, six and four are seen dressed in torn uniforms, looked poorly fed and one is stained with blood probably from injuries, wounds or insect bites. As they walk through the deplorable road, talking about yesterday’s event in their respective homes, the driver of the red Nissan Sunny car mistakenly splashed water at them.
It is just too distressing and lamentable. One would easily see the replete with deep pits, potholes and at every yard, there are deep pits and potholes dangerous for trekking not to talk of driving vehicles.
There’s no visible drainage, erosion is pre-mixed and water’s seen everywhere, no one can drive smoothly, safely on this road as death was everywhere looking for someone to devour.
What a coincidence. We headed towards the same direction. There are three government schools in Dagbaja, Ipetu-Ijesha, two elementary schools and one middle school formerly known as Dagbaja Community Grammar School, Ipetu-Ijesha. These boys and girls are pupils of A.U.D elementary school, Dagbaja.
The miserable state of this elementary school is very similar to execrable state of most elementary schools within the state. There are two buildings, a building has a leaky roof while the other building roof has been completely damaged and removed.
Roofless school buildings, collapsed classroom blocks, shortage of teachers, lack of basic learning materials and the haunting sights of poor little children struggling to learn under the most dehumanising environment.
There is no chair in a particular class. Pupils use bench as desk while number of chairs available in some classes is relatively low compared to the number of students per class. Pupils squeeze themselves on chairs while others sit on barefloor.
Just as this reporter leaves A.U.D elementary school, Dagbaja, Ipetu-Jesa speculating why a responsible government would leave a school in such decay form, as he travels around the community, he realised that there are a lot of government schools whose infrastructure is beyond dilapitated.
Several other public schools visited in Dagbaja and neighbouring Oriade Local Government area have similar challenges of decayed infrastructures, inadequate teacher and no libraries at all.
Most schools do not have toilet because students run into the bush to ease themselves. Pupils have no source of drinking water not to talk of if it’s drinkable, clean or hygienic. Many schools have no furnitures yet neglected and pushed to ruin.
“This school is surviving due to individual efforts. There are three government teachers and two corpers. They teach 12 subjects; arts, science and commercial subjects. At times, we charge ourselves to buy teaching aids despite unpaid salaries” as stated by a teacher who prefers to remain anonymous.
Further investigations revealed that the state government built some beautiful edifices as schools across local governments within the state. These schools can be found in major towns within state. They are not only large, spacious but merits the standard of a school setting.
These schools are characterised with well equipped laboratories and libraries. There are ICT centres where students can easily learn the business of information and technologgy. They have playing grounds for pupils to display their positive energies towards sports and exercise.
These mega schools are scarcely distributed across the length and breadth of the state anwhile some pupils at big towns use water closets conveniently. Although there’s possibly tempestuous in the course of growth but it should not be allowed to lead to clear disparity.
Personal interviews held with some citizens and teachers show varying opinions. Some people praised the government for building such beautiful edifices as schools while some people condemned the government over financial recklessness and lacks priority of wants although most condemned the neglection and irresponsible attitude shown to schools at the downtrodden.
But as this reporter leaves Ilesha Middle School A and B speculating why would a government build large and big schools in some areas of the state at the detriment of other hundreds of schools within the state? What’s the usefulness of these school projects when they are scarcely distributed and attended with a special fee and there are hundreds of public schools going into ruins.
“These irresponsible attitude of the government is alarming. I do not know how to tell people our stories again. I could remember a day I rushed my students into the next class due to rainfall. He told this reporter to look up and I saw a big leaky roof. I nearly fell on ground in the process of saving books and students from rain; one of the teachers in Ipetu-Ijesa, a rather sad teacher said.
Former Governor Aregbesola had three special advisers on education before the end of his tenure. I read it in the news that he created a monitoring board who visits public schools for reports during his tenure.
This reporter marvels at what they report to the government if their reports does not include infrastructural decay, inadequate teachers, lack of chairs and empty halls addressed as laboratories.
Some school buildings have been abandoned to rot for several years in Dagbaja, Ipetu-Jesa. We have schools with no toilet and source of clean drinking water yet all these are not included in the reports submitted to the government.
In a telephone interview with the Senior Special Adviser on Education to Former Governor Aregbesola and supervising adviser on education to Gov. Gboyega Oyetola, Kola Young said that the dilapidated schools you mentioned in Dagbaja has been scheduled for complete rebuilding this year. Such schools give you the picture of the neglect of schools by the previous administration of Oyinlola which did not continue with the focus on education that Governor Akande started.
Kola Young said “that is why emergency was declared in education by Aregbesola’s administration and schools are being renovated and new ones built. By the records, 20 new Elementary schools, 25 new Middle schools & 11 new High schools have been built , 1811 classrooms renovated in other dilapidated schools to provide modern, decent, environment for more than 200,000 students with provisions of modern toilets and the incumbent governor will continue in that regards”
Fortunately, Dagbaja has been slated for complete rebuilding this year which will still be done, thankfully because there is continuity in government. For your further information, world class laboratories – never before seen in Osun – were provided in the model schools and laboratory items provided for all high schools in the state, he stated.
“Lord Mayor, the paramount ruler of Dagbaja donated hundred (100) chairs and desks to our schools when he visited and saw the infrastructure decay. Some people donated roofing sheets to repair leaking roofs but the damage is too severe and only government can solve most of these problems”; Ayodele, a dweller of this community stated.
“The former governor of Osun state, Aregbesola was not sincere in reviving education. He was more concerned about his purse than the education growth of his state. His interests were solely building of schools at high prices and diverting the excess as his personal gains. These mega schools were built on lies, deceits and personal gains. That was why he neglected other schools to ruin and we hope Oyetola would not continue on such template”, Ayodele continued.
Governor Aregbesola has completed his tenure as the governor of the state and he has handed over to Governor Gboyega Oyetola as the incumbent governor of the state who has spent more 100days in office. As the SSA on Education to Former Governor Aregbesola blames the previous government for the decay of schools in Dagbaja and environs after 8years in uninterrupted power, THE FULCRUM appeals to the government to provide meaningful solutions to leaky roofs, inadequate teachers, infrastructure decay, pupils sleeping on barefloor, abandoned buildings serving as homes for wild insects and criminals because people of Dagbaja and environs are graciously waiting for the intervention of the government.
This investigative report is written by Lawal Sodiq Adewale also known as Apagunpote Olayimika Chocomilo.