If standard of facilities, conducive environment and learning resources available in schools are determinants of quality education, then, students and teachers at the Igbo Owu Junior Secondary School, Mushin, Lagos, have every reason to worry. Established since 1967 during the regime of Alhaji Lateef Jakande, former governor of Lagos State, at Olu Aina Street, in Mushin Local Government Area of the state, the school is in a parlous state. Lack of facilities, filthy learning environment, falling roofs, dust-ridden floors, dilapidated structures due apparently to long years of neglect are some of the visible attributes of the school.

Dearth of instructional materials, classrooms without walls, blown off roofs, lack of laboratory and library, absence of befitting staff room and office accommodation, low morale of students and teachers due to agelong abandonment are some of the challenges confronting the school in the delivery of qualitative education. With about 1000 students, the story of Igbo Owu Junior Secondary School is that of neglect, worries and distress.

During rainy periods, the school reminds one of the sad tales painted by John Pepper Clark in one of his famous poems – ‘Night Rain’. The school, which ironically shares boundary with the Education District VI Zone II Inspectorate Division; the Local Government Education Authority in charge of primary school; and other schools including the Community Secondary Schools, Works yard and Euba Secondary School, all located in the same complex, is an eyesore.

In spite of this, the school, as gathered, boasts of 40 teaching and non-teaching members of staff. Faced with these myriad of challenges, the school authority, Saturday Mirror gathered, had to secure an apartment in the neighbourhood to accommodate the Principal’s office, while a small room, which hitherto had served as the school library, has been converted to the Vice- Principal’s (Academic) office.

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Piqued by the plight and hardship the teachers and students go through due to lack of facilities, a resident of the area was said to have donated a small space where first aid materials are kept for use of the students and teachers.

Also, owing to the neglect of the school, the 20 computers distributed to the school by the Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology, to enhance computer education as one of the cardinal policies of the state government, have been out of use the non-conducive classroom environment. While expressing his feelings about the state of the school, one of the teachers, who craved anonymity, noted that whenever it rains, the students are cramped together in few classrooms since almost all the classrooms are leaking.

“Can you imagine how the teachers and students are coping under this condition? How on earth do you expect students to listen and pay attention to lessons, or read and be able to prepare well enough for examinations in open classrooms? You can as well come to terms with the challenges we face on daily basis, especially when it rains and the students are already in school. How do you think we cope with the resulting cold due to the rain?

Mind you, these are children numbering about 1,000. The situation here is really pathetic.” Another teacher lamented: “Teaching is a noble profession and should be treated as such. Why must we be subjected to this ridiculous condition? Is it a crime to be a teacher?

One wonders if ideally any government should expect effective learning in this type of academic environment, which in any case, does not look like one. Our students are going through a tough situation to acquire education. Other people may have talked about our experience during rainy season, but what about the experience during hot weather? Here are classrooms without ceilings. The situation is terrible and precarious. It is worrisome that this is happening in Lagos, the nation’s commercial hub.”

Some of the students, who spoke with Saturday Mirror describe the condition as deplorable, unbearable and appalling. A student in JSS II could not understand why the school was neglected for so long. On whether the school authority has made any attempt to get the attention of the government, a source said the management has made several presentations to the government. Several government officials have also visited the school to make on-the-spot assessment, but that nothing concrete has come out of the several visits.

A source in the state’s Ministry of Education, however, said that the school had already been earmarked for rehabilitation. The source pointed out that the rehabilitation work on the school had to be suspended by the government due to the rain, since no tangible construction work of any kind could be carried out during rainy season. “Frankly, government has penciled down the school for rehabilitation and this will begin as soon as the rain subsided,” the source assured.
http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/saturday-mirror/living/learning-in-tears-the-igbo-owu-junior-secondary-school-experience/

my Alma mata