The Founder, Louis Awode Foundation (LAF), Louis Awode, has appealed to Ogun State government and relevant authorities to renovate St. Mary’s Catholic School, Ogbere, a community in the Ijebu-East Local Council in the state.
Awode, an Alumni of the school, lamented that pupils study under conditions unfit for learning, while their mates across the country learn in state-of-the-art classrooms, a conducive learning environment.
“The pupils take classes in leaky rooms, with cracked walls and broken classroom furniture, and sit in front of a blackboard on which their teachers scribble with white chalk.
“Quality education is a basic right for every child, regardless of their status, but the condition of this school exposes the widening gap between the quality of education children from wealthy and middle-class homes enjoy in comparison with those from underserved communities whose parents cannot afford to enroll them in private schools and have no choice but to watch their children study in such an environment. It was painful seeing the school in such a deplorable condition.
“Primary education is not where children should be abandoned, it is where their future is defined. This is not just an Ogun State issue; it is a national emergency across Nigeria,” he said.
Recounting his childhood and his school experience, Awode said his parents could not afford private education, adding that many parents are like his, especially with the rising cost of living sweeping across the country.
He added that his experience inspired him to establish LAF, an organisation that works to improve access to basic amenities and facilities for underprivileged Nigerians in underserved communities.
A teacher who pleaded anonymity attributed the deplorable condition of the school to government neglect. According to her, the pupils attend classes in buildings constructed during the colonial era in Nigeria.
“There are a lot of challenges in this school because for many years the government has neglected the school in terms of buildings.” said the teacher.
t will sound funny to you that pupils are still using one of the two old mud buildings, which is almost dilapidated likewise there are some classrooms made of blocks that needs to be repaired both in and out including doors and windows,” said the teacher.
