Children in the Ugbakwa community at Nkanu East Local Government of Enugu State are learning sitting on a bare floor, Bagco Bags, and stones as their school becomes dilapidated.
The Enugu Ugbakwa Community Primary School is so dilapidated that the kids sit on Bagco Bags, others on stones and bare a floor to learn in a classroom.
Mr. Ejiofor Cyprian who spoke to MAWA, described the condition of public primary and secondary schools in Enugu as deplorable, pointing out that the kids often learn in a very unconducive environment.
Cyprian who spoke to MAWA in a telephone conversation from the Enugu Ezike community in Igbo North Local Government of the state accused the government of not funding education. At the same time, the officials supervise it as it is collapsing.
He, however, pointed out that because of the collapsed nature of public schools in the state, some parent who have the economic means, now send their kids to private schools as an alternative to acquiring a good and quality education. In contrast, children of the poor are allowed to school in an environment that can be best described as a zoo where animals are kept.
“I was born in Enugu Ezike, I am over 46 years and have visited virtually all the communities in Nsukka, and I can tell you for sure, many of the public schools are dilapidated, not conducive for learning”, Cyprian said.
Miss Jacinta Amaka, a teacher in one of the public schools in the Obukpa community in Nsukka Local Government, described the condition of public schools in Enugu State as pitiable.
Amaka who claims to have been a teacher for over 27 years, told MAWA that it is hard to think that children in Enugu, a state that claims to have spent billions on education in the last decades will be seen sitting on the floor in dilapidated classrooms.
Describing the situation, Amaka said Ugbakwa Community Primary School is not an exception while pointing out that there are a good number of schools in Nsukkka and Nkanu where children learn sitting on the floor as a result of the dilapidated nature of the school.
“When you go into the rural villages and some parts of slums in Enugu, you will find many children learning and sitting on the floor in dilapidated schools”, Amaka said.
MAWA Foundation could not immediately reach out to the Enugu State government for an official response.