By Kelvin Ololo
Stepping into the premises of Immaculate Conception Primary School, Ikot Ansa in Calabar Municipal Local Government Area of Cross River State, one might quickly adjudge the school classroom structure to be uncompleted buildings a carpenter just started roofing.
Its open roofs, cracked walls, hanging two-by-two planks ready to yank off and scanty seats, sums up the pathetic learning conditions of the intending leaders of tomorrow.
Learning comes to an end once the clouds change and begin to rain because the classrooms become a river of its own due to the open roofs.
The insufficient or no desk to accommodate the pupils makes the learning worse.
The dilapidated condition of Immaculate Conception Primary School, is among the decaying many public schools in Cross River State, whose state becomes unbearable.
It is the only public primary school that serves the community and has been in sorry state since 2022. The buildings are decaying gradually, the roof blew off by storm, classrooms suffer leakages and students are combined in clusters for lessons.
Speaking to CrossRiverWatch, the Head Teacher, Melpi Aqua Edem, said “the attention of the Commissioner of Education Dr. Stephen Odey and that of the Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) have being drawn to the dilapidated state of the school learning condition and they both visited the school and asked her to write.
She said as expected, her many letter writing are still in the pipeline without intervention.
“The Commissioner came in and saw that we need classrooms. Let them come and repair the two buildings and our assembly hall, like today, while we were having assembly rain came and we had to dismiss the children to run into their classes. We also need a fence to control erosion that overflows into the school premises,” she appealed.
A parents and resident of the community, Mr. Joel Umoh expressed displeasure how the government of the state has neglected the primary school and community.
He said that “Immaculate Primary School is neglected by the government and the government is not giving attention to public schools again.”
David Effiong quarreled that all hands are not equal for everyone to send their wards to private school. He said fencing the school will help to curtail activities of hoodlums that vandalize some of the school properties.
Other residents and pupils called on the government to intervene on the condition of the school to avert unforeseen circumstances.
the Director of Administration, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Mr. Joseph Effiong, while speaking to CrossRiverWatch, confirmed that the board is fully aware of the condition of public schools and had received reports from various schools across the state for intervention but the board does not have the funds available to tackle the situation except when made available.
His words: we don’t have quick intervention funds, our hands are so tight but we have applied to UBEC waiting for their approvals. Once it’s approved we will channel to schools that need renovations and interventions, but for now, our hands are tight to an extent,” he said.
According to the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), about 10.5 million of Nigeria’s children aged 5-14 years are not in school. Only 61 percent of 6-11 year-olds regularly attend primary school and only 35.6 percent of children aged 36-59 months receive early childhood education.
The frightening data raises questions about the state of public primary and secondary schools in Cross River.
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