A section of children in class
In October 2022, we discovered the plight of Sangara Primary School in Ningi LA, Bauchi state. The school had no habitable structure; over 600 pupils received classes sitting on the bare floor under a tree, and teachers were seen writing on walls to serve as makeshift blackboards. The condition affected the attendance of the pupils, as many children dropped out of school due to the inhabitable conditions.
A school staff, whose name was withheld, said they had sent several letters and notices to Bauchi SUBEB for renovation and furnishing since 2021 but had not received any response.
“Tears on my duct whenever I try so hard to narrate the teachers’ and pupils’ ordeal in the school. Now that the government have abandoned us, where and how can we locate that individual or organization that will wipe our tears, he asked?”
We wrote letters, notified the public, and called the constituency lawmaker’s attention to the eyesore. During this process, Honorable Bamidele Salami, a member representing Ede/Egbedore/Ejigbo federal constituency in Osun state, reached out to Tracka and promised to discuss the plight with the Senator and House of Reps member of Ningi.
Seven months after our first visit and advocacy for the school, they benefited from the construction of a fully furnished block of 3 classrooms. The project was facilitated by Senator Halliru Dauda Jika, representing Bauchi central senatorial district and implemented by the Office of the Senior Special Assistance of Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP SDGs) with MESSRS Miod Global Service Ltd as the contractor.
Mrs Habiba Isah, the school’s headmistress, was happy about the new development, and according to her, this has led to an increase in attendance as the pupils are now motivated to come to school.
“We commend the senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District for his swift response to the plight of the people, and we also express our gratitude to Tracka,” she said.
“We thank Tracka for the effort in ensuring our school received the needed intervention. Although we are still begging for a total renovation of the entire school, not just a building.”
We commend Senator Haliru Jika for this swift intervention. However, we call on Bauchi state SUBEB and other relevant stakeholders to look into the pandemic of dilapidated schools in the state. One school renovated and furnished only addresses a tiny part of the education problem plaguing the state. Bauchi state government needs to declare a state of emergency on education and revamp the system.
Story by Ayomide Ladipo and Ahmed Dauda
