The lives of 850 pupils of Kadara Junior Grammar School, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, is now in danger as the classroom block under which they are learning could cave in any time.

The structure, which also serves as office to some of the teachers in the school, including the principal could, at any time from now, collapse according to building experts. Some of the pupils and residents of the area, said the crack on the walls and the persistent vibration of the building is enough for government to relocate the pupils to avert the looming calamity that may come from such collapse.

Speaking with National Mirror, a staff of the school, who did not want to be mentioned, said the school management had, on several occasions, appealed to the state government to rehabilitate the school, but was yet to get any favourable response.

It was gathered that the buildings, which were separated initially, were merged by the Schools’ Rehabilitation Programme, an agency under the state Ministry of Works and Infrastructure. National Mirror investigation also revealed that each of the 12 classrooms has between 85 to 94 pupils.

An official of the school said the school management had been told not to worry about the crack. “They came here from Alausa to tell us that the crack was as a result of the joint, because the buildings were initially separated before it was joined together.”

But a JSS3 pupil told National Mirror that the building vibrates intermittently, adding that they are scared of its imminent collapse. She confirmed that about 87 pupils are in each class. When National Mirror visited the school premises, it was observed that some pupils are oblivious of the danger around them. “Each time we are in the class, especially when heavy duty trucks are passing by, the building would vibrate.

We don’t know why the school management or the state government has not done anything about it.” Meanwhile, residents of Cemetery Street have raised concern about the building, wondering why the crack of a classroom block will be left unattended to by the state government.

Efforts to get government officials in the Ministries of Works and Infrastructural Development and Education to react to this, proved abortive as officials declined to comment, saying they had been barred from talking to journalists.

http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/danger-as-850-pupils-learn-under-dilapidated-structure/