Parents of students at Lajo Community Junior Senior Secondary School in Ikorodu Local Government Area, Lagos State, have expressed frustration over the government’s failure to repair a classroom damaged by a rainstorm on April 21, 2024.
PUNCH Metro reports that despite serving over a hundred students in the community school, the classroom remains in disrepair five months after the storm, and the state government has taken no action to address the damage.
Our correspondent reported on Saturday that, despite the poor state of the school’s learning environment and repeated pleas from the community for the state government’s intervention, students will be forced to study in cramped and inadequate conditions with school resumption across the state on Monday.
During a visit to the school on April 26, 2024, and a subsequent report by PUNCH Metro on April 30, 2024, parents expressed concerns that the collapsed classroom building was disrupting their children’s education.
With students now crammed into the limited remaining space, parents feared the overcrowded conditions jeopardised academic progress and sought the government’s intervention.
In response to the outcry from concerned parents and inquiries made by our correspondent regarding the government’s inaction, Assistant Director Public Affairs Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Ganiyu Lawal, stated on April 29 that he was unaware of the situation then but promised to investigate and follow up.
“Probably the district would have been informed about it because they are the first point of the report, but as I speak with you, I am not aware. This does not mean that the ministry is not aware. Can you send me the school’s name so that I can properly find out?” he had said.
However, on Saturday, parents and school insiders confirmed to our correspondent that the state government had yet to follow through on its promises regarding the condition of the school and the welfare of its students.
A father, known only as Mr Ogundele, told our correspondent, “The collapsed classroom has remained untouched since it was damaged by the rainstorm in April. No one has come to fix it. They only showed up after the media reported the incident.
“They only plastered and painted the one building where the students are overcrowded. However, the collapsed classroom for the JSS3 students has been completely neglected and remains untouched. They brought poles to support the only building to prevent it from collapsing just like the other building,” he added.
A resident named Oluwatosin stated that despite the community leaders’ efforts to improve the learning environment by visiting and sending letters to the ministry about the school’s condition, they had only received empty promises.
“They keep promising the community that they will repair and rebuild the classroom, but no concrete action has followed. Meanwhile, students continue to lack adequate shelter for learning.
“Community members even visited the state secretariat in Alausa to meet with these officials, but their efforts yielded no results.”
A source within the school, who requested anonymity due to the fear of victimisation, told our correspondent that the school management rented a canopy for the students to use during their last exams following the collapse of the building.
The source said, “When the students who previously used the collapsed building needed to take their exams, the school had to rent a canopy.
“For about a week, one class was relocated to the canopy to allow the other students to complete their exams. This is the first time such a situation has occurred at the school, and it is all due to the government’s failure to repair the building.”
When our correspondent reached out to Lawal on Sunday to inquire why it had taken the state government several months to address the school’s needs, he assured PUNCH Metro that the building would be repaired soon.
“The government is aware of the situation at the school, and efforts are underway to address the damage. However, as you know, when it comes to major infrastructural repairs beyond what schools can manage on their own, the state must carefully plan for the rehabilitation.
“Many areas require similar attention, and it will take time. Rest assured, we are working on it. We will get to the place to fix the damage,” Lawal said.
