SIR: I remember that some years ago in Edo State, public schools were used for all sorts of parties –marriages, burials, naming to mention but a few. To those who organized those parties, the best place to hold the parties while leaving the garbage for the children of the poor to evacuate when they are supposed be in the classroom learning are the public schools.
When Governor Godwin Obaseki came on board, the first decision he took was to ban the use of public schools for all manner of parties and as at today, the schools are better for it. The era of abandoning waste for children of the poor to evacuate in Edo State public schools is over and I am not sure if it will be back because the people are even happy seeing the doors of the schools under lock and keys on weekends.
Watching officials from Basic and Secondary Education in Delta State lament the plight of a secondary school recently gutted by fire, my conclusion was that this was another instance of a wasted generation.
I decided to make some enquiries on how fire got to the school only to discover that bush burners were responsible for the incident. Since the secondary school was located in a particular town, what was the responsibility of the community leaders and why was it that no one in the community was aware of the fire incident or what role did they play in putting the fire out?
In the good old days, public schools in the communities including the teachers were well protected by the leaders and members of such communities. Today, things have fallen apart and the centre can no longer hold. The manner people are destroying public schools calls for serious concern from all those that passed through the public school system.
To curb the incessant destruction of school properties and abandonment of heaps of refuse, government should ban the use of public schools for parties of all kind. There are several event centres all over the state and if Edo State could do so and the result was highly successful, there is no reason why Delta State should not be able to do it. The earlier this is done the better for the state. Also to be banned is their use for religious activities. Most of the churches using public schools for religious activities are in a position to provide one borehole in the school but they have not thought it fit. It has been alleged that some principals, heads of primary schools and Ministry of Education including Local Government Authorities are being paid some amount of money for the usage of the public schools. Since such fund is not enough to provide and replace all items destroyed including clearing of the refuse, it is not worth continuing and should therefore be jettisoned.
In addition, all public schools should be provided with security gates that will be under lock and key when the school is not in session to forestall anyone from invading and destroying the schools.
People will naturally castigate the Ministry of Education if these recommendations are implemented. The ministry however, must not only act but should be swift. The community elders should be involved in the monitoring the schools to ensure compliance.
- Joseph Esivwenughwu,
<esivwenughwu@yahoo.com