The Nawarudeen Grammar School is situated in Oke-Baale, Osogbo, along Ibokun road. This reporter got off in front of the school’s direct neighbor, the Holufort Event and Conference Centre.
There is a large, tall signage with some brief details about the school. The entrance to the school is indicated by a little iron gate, and the signpost is placed over it.
There is no barrier around the school, allowing unauthorized entry. When the reporter entered the school, he saw the first two buildings that the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) had constructed in 2014 and an administrative block in 2019.
This dispelled any concerns about the school’s infrastructure. The surroundings were tidy, and the buildings were in decent condition.
With more investigation, WITHIN NIGERIA discovered that only SUBEB-built structures are in good shape, with the rest being in a pitiful state of decay.
The reporter marveled at the appalling condition of several of the school’s classrooms while touring the entire building.
The school has some buildings that have cracked ceilings, no window frames, damaged floors, and leaking roofs.
There are also two collapsed structures that the school administration has left unattended, although markings on the blackboards of other classrooms in dreadful state structures indicate that they are still in use.
These classrooms are distinguished by their damaged floors. There weren’t any window frames in one particular structure, but the classrooms did have wooden benches and broken chairs.
Blackboards with recent handwriting reveal that during vigorous classes, students sit on broken chairs and wooden benches.
Students may stroll over the unpaved road at the back of this particular structure, which has no window frames, after they may have fled their classrooms during class time.
According to Shakirah Raji, a 41-year-old lady, students typically climb through window frames to buy snacks or biscuits in the area during school hours.
‘Several kids have been caught by me skulking around during class hours without their teachers’ consent. When you questioned these youngsters, they would claim that their teachers had sent them on errands’. Shakirah stated, “I really wish the school administration would do something about it since it is so annoying.
Mr. Adeniyi, another community resident, expressed his concern about the deplorable condition of this specific building next to an unpaved road that permits pupils to leave classrooms at any time.
In Mr. Adeniyi’s opinion, it is past due for the government to repair this specific building and replace the windows to control the children’s excesses.
The 63-year-old man who complained about the school’s lack of a fence encouraged the administration and the state government, through the Ministry of Education, to start building a barrier for reasons of safety and security.
The safety of schoolchildren must be ensured against abductors and intruders. A rather dejected man continued, “It is disappointing that students may be permitted to reside in such a facility despite the ongoing security crisis sweeping the nation.
A parent of one of the students, Rasak Abdulmalik, told WITHIN NIGERIA that he once spoke with a teacher at the school about the absence of a fence and, more crucially, the building next to the unpaved road that has no windows.
The teacher assured me that everything was being addressed as we speak by the school administration. Sadly, almost a year has passed and nothing has changed. He continued that the government must improve and take on greater responsibility.
While discussing the situation, a 14-year-old boy (name withheld) admitted that he and his buddies used to jump out of the window and then roam around for a while before returning to the classroom.
The adolescent revealed to the reporter how they sneak out of class and explained that they do it because it is uncomfortable inside.
When school is in session, we sit on broken benches and chairs. He continued, “We sometimes need to go for a walk to stretch our backs and potentially get carried away.”
Speaking about the situation, Fabiyi Ademola, a senior lecturer in the department of Computer Science at the Federal Polytechnic Ede, said that schools without adequate fencing put students at risk of being raped, taken hostage, or even attacked by wild animals if the school is located near a bushy area.
‘Intruders will be kept outside of the school’s perimeter by its fencing, while students will remain inside safely’.
He said that fence-enclosed schools are impenetrable to intruders trying to scale them or to other means of entry.