Despite the Oyo State government’s persistent claims of allocating over 20% of its budget to the education sector, surpassing the recommended UNESCO standard of 15-20%, a closer look reveals an uneven contrast between the government’s claims and the actual conditions on the ground. In this report, Yemi Sodeeq visited Apata Ogbooro, a primary school grappling with dilapidated infrastructure, a severe shortage of teaching materials, and the distressing reality of pupils being taught under trees.
Nestled at the base of the towering mountains that define Ogbooro town in the Ifeloju Local Council Development Area of Oyo State, Apata Ogbooro is a village primarily inhabited by farmers who, despite their non-indigene status, have coexisted harmoniously for many years. In 1996, Apata Ogbooro Primary School was established as a community-owned institution. However, the ownership was later transferred to the Oyo State government, with the promise of adequate funding and access to quality education.
Few years later, the reality on the ground tells a different story. The school’s infrastructure has been neglected, with the only three-classroom block collapsing in 2022 and no renovations or repairs from the government since then.
The dire state of the school goes beyond crumbling infrastructure. Pupils are left without basic resources needed for a conducive learning environment. Tables, chairs, and learning materials lie abandoned under the trees, while a lack of library, computers, toilets, and recreational facilities further exacerbates the challenges faced by the students.
‘No proper education’
Speaking with The Informant247, the Village head of Apata Ogbooro, Gabriel Odama, lamented the condition of the school. He said the pupils, despite their young age, learn under harsh conditions such as rain and sun, which is not good for their well-being.
Odama, who hails from Cross River State but is one of the first settlers in the area, said the condition of the school has affected the standard of education for their children.
“The pupils are learning under very bad conditions. They don’t have access to a proper educational system, and this is really affecting them,” he said.
Odama further explained that the collapsed classroom was poorly constructed.
“The classroom that collapsed was not properly built by the contractor. What we got here was different from what was built in other places close to us at the time it was constructed,” he said.
‘2 Teachers, 70 Students’
One of the parents who spoke with The Informant247 revealed that the school has only two teachers.
“There are about 70 pupils from Kindergarten to Primary Six, but there are only two permanent teachers working there. The school used to have a part-time teacher who was employed by the community, but the person left about three years ago because the parents couldn’t afford to pay the salary anymore.”
He further stated that the need for a part-time teacher was to salvage the school from folding up given the challenges faced by the two teachers posted to the school by the government.
“One of the reasons why we hired a part-time teacher was to rescue the school from folding up because sometimes movement in and out of the village was always impossible for the teachers due to erosion on the road. Although a bridge has now been constructed to control the water on the road, there are still many challenges on the road.”
He added, “Most of the school chairs have been stolen and some destroyed. We always use our personal money to repair some tables and chairs. We also made chalkboards ourselves.”
Government’s negligence aids school collapse
Before the total collapse of the school in 2022, some efforts were made to notify the local government authority about the dire need to renovate it, especially as some parts of the roof were blown off by rain.
“Before the classroom finally collapsed, there had been a serious crack in the building. The roof was destroyed in 2021, and we wrote letters to the local government, but received no response at all,” the community head said.
A ‘classless’ school serving five villages
The primary school is the only rallying point for five villages, according to Odama.
“It’s the only go-to school for children in about five other villages, which are: Budo Adesiyan, Budo Akowe, and Budo Onishile.”
“There was a time when two teachers were moved to Budo Onishile because the place is very far from here, and we have a lot of pupils over there,” one of the teachers who spoke with The Informant247 said.
“The idea of the Headmaster of the school then was for the two teachers to help nurture some of the kids, and they would later be moved to Apata Ogbooro when they reach a higher class.
“Unfortunately, this effort, with time, failed because there weren’t enough teachers, and some of the teachers at that time transferred back to their respective towns.”
Meanwhile, the school has over the years produced graduates who are now doing well in their chosen fields, but the fate of the current set of pupils in the school remains hanging.
“The pupils can’t learn when it’s raining. They have to leave for their respective homes, and school is closed for the day. Even when the sun gets hot, some of them leave because they can’t cope with the situation,” said Odama.
‘Only useful for elections’
A helpless Odama said politicians have also abandoned the village to its fate as they only visit during the election period.
“We have reached out to a number of political officeholders around here, and nothing has happened. They only come here during elections, and after that, we never see them again,” he said angrily.
The primary school also serves as the polling centre where the people of Apata Ogbooro and nearby villages vote during every election.
The village head said he is disappointed that they don’t receive commensurate attention and support from the government despite being part of the electoral process.
“We don’t have any basic amenities. No electricity and water, and our children still can’t access quality education.
Ogbooro’s King’s Intervention
One of the efforts made by the community was reaching out to the King of Ogbooro concerning the worrisome state of the school. According to Odama, the King is now planning to reconstruct a part of the collapsed classroom.
During the visit, The Informant247 also observed some newly moulded blocks ready to be laid, indicating that the monarch’s intervention is taking effect.
“The king has decided to build one classroom on his own and add one office to it,” Odama said.
‘Big spendings, uneven results’
For the third year in a row, Gov. Seyi Makinde’s administration claims to have allocated over 15% of the state’s budget to the education sector.
Upon assuming office in 2019, the governor reviewed the entire state budget downwards by 57% but increased the budgetary allocation to education from about 3% to 10%.
In the 2020 budget, the educational sector’s budget was raised to 22.3%, while in 2021, it was 21%. The budget for 2022 was pegged at 18.37%, and for 2023, it stands at 18.78%—all above the UNESCO recommended standard of 15-20%.
In November 2022, Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, Chairman of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, stated that the agency has completed over 56 model schools, constructed and renovated over 700 classroom blocks across the state, amongst other projects.
In the 2023 appropriation bill, the Governor allocated fifty-eight billion, two hundred and thirteen million, nine hundred and eighty-one thousand, two hundred and sixty-seven naira, eighty-seven kobo (N58,213,981,267.87), which was said to be the second-largest allocation in the proposed fiscal bill at that time.
A grant of $40 million was also approved by the Global Partnership for Education – Transforming Education System at the State Level (GPE2-TESS).
‘Not only Apata Ogbooro Primary School’
When contacted, the Vice-Chairman of the Ifeloju Local Council Development Authority (LCDA), Honourable Emmanuel Fatokun, confirmed that he is aware of the condition of the school. He added that there are other communities with dilapidated and collapsed classrooms.
He furthered that only the state government can approve the reconstruction of the school, and they have not yet notified the state government about the situation.
“I became aware of the condition of the school during the campaign for the last general election.
“We have not written to the state government about it because we have not received approval for the one we wrote about another school like that in Alaparun. They also face the same challenges as this.
“The state government is responsible for giving approval for school construction, especially when it involves money,” he added.
