FCT school where teachers buy learning aids

The LEA Nomadic Primary School in Wasa village of the FCT presents two sharp contrasting tales. The structure is a beautiful and heart-warming one, because the buildings were recently renovated and the environment looks serene, but the school’s function with regard to qualitative education is a different story. The teachers in the school have to […]

The LEA Nomadic Primary School in Wasa village of the FCT presents two sharp contrasting tales. The structure is a beautiful and heart-warming one, because the buildings were recently renovated and the environment looks serene, but the school’s function with regard to qualitative education is a different story.

The teachers in the school have to tax themselves in order to buy not only teaching materials to enable them discharge their duties and responsibilities to earn their pay, but also learning materials for their pupils so they can retain them in school.

Daily Trust gathered that due to the situation, the school, which had over 500 pupils in the past, now has less than 150. This setback has affected learning activities in the school as some classes are now left empty.

Investigations revealed that the teachers had to merge classes due to dearth of pupils. Despite measures taken by the teachers to make learning attractive to the pupils, the number of the pupils per class has dropped to less than 30 while in the entire classes, 1 and 2, there are less than 40 pupils at the time of this report.

One of the teachers who didn’t want his name in print said: “We have many problems in this school. There is shortage of pupils, no staff room, no chairs, no table and we lack other learning materials and facilities.

“We merged classes because we don’t have enough teachers, no chairs, no cardboard papers and no textbooks in the school,” he said, adding that “most of the Fulani herders withdrew their children for cattle rearing.”

The school was officially set up for nomads’ children but with the poor attitude of the parents toward enrolling their children in the school, non-nomadic children have taken over the school, Daily Trust check revealed.

Most of the pupils take lessons in tattered uniforms and casual dresses. Some come to school barefoot without learning materials. Some female pupils among them do not wear uniforms to school.

Apart from dearth of teachers, the school lacks such necessities as staff rooms where teachers prepare for their classes. Lack of seats for the pupils in some of the classes forces many of them to sit on bare floor to learn. The toilet in the school is dilapidated and nauseating.

“In this school, teachers tax themselves to buy chalk, books and other learning materials,” one of the teachers who pleaded anonymity told this reporter.

“Even if you asked some of the parents to contribute N100, they will withdraw their children from the school. That is the reason we decided to contribute the little we have to buy those learning materials, apart from the lack of chairs in the classes.”

He said: “Our problem in this school is that the Fulanis are yet to release their children, but we are trying to enlighten them to allow them to attend school. That is why the system operating in this school is different from that of any other school. Here we close by 12 noon so that the children will go back home to herd their cattle.”

 Daily Trust learnt that only 50 nomads’ children were attending school regularly.

Sometimes, their parents (nomads) would come to school and drive their children out of the classes to go and herd their cattle.

A source also told our reporter that in the past, the head teacher of the school had tried to maintain the toilets but some people suspected to be internally displaced persons would break the lock and mess it up again.

Although, an international non-governmental organization built a borehole in the school, but lack of pumping machine has hindered its utilisation making access to potable water a challenge.

The teacher pleaded with the government to come to the aide of the school.

Another cause of concern in the school is that termites are now destroying the school’s infrastructures.

“Termites are destroying the ceiling and roofing of the school because the contractor that renovated it recently, used substandard materials,” Daily Trust was told.

When contacted, the Executive Director, Federal Capital Territory Administration, Universal Basic Education Board (FCTA-UBEB), Adamu Jatau Noma, said plans have been concluded to provide learning materials and employed more teachers in the school.

According to him, all the challenges facing the school have been identified and would soon be addressed.

He said that N-Power teachers have been deployed to the school and other FCT schools to ensure quality and sustainable education in Abuja.

The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE), Prof. Bashir Usman, said the commission would send their extension officer in the FCT to verify the problems of the school.

According to him, the commission would intervene and assist the school after it verified and identified the challenges.