Despite the Enugu state government's significant financial commitments to education, including billions of naira for new “smart schools” and large budgetary allocations, existing primary schools are struggling with unsafe, degrading, and unhygienic learning conditions. A two-part series begins by highlighting the stark reality at these older institutions, where basic necessities such as security, functional toilets, electricity, and weatherproof classrooms are severely lacking, exposing children to physical dangers and health risks.

Airport Primary School in Emene, Enugu state, established in the 1950s, exemplifies these challenges. At the start of the 2025/2026 academic year, primary six pupil Ezekiel Thankgod found his classroom vandalized, with all windows and parts of the rooftop stolen. This was not an isolated incident; for over a decade, the school has suffered repeated burglaries due to an open entrance gate and a complete lack of security personnel. A school official, Ebere Emmanuel, noted the problem has become normalized, with criminals breaking keys, entering the compound after dismissal, and even living within the premises during holidays, where they engage in illicit activities, drink, smoke, and urinate in classrooms, rendering the environment unsafe and unhygienic. Teachers and pupils leave immediately after school, carrying their belongings, due to the persistent security threats.

Efforts by the school authority to address these issues have been largely ignored. Since 2021, numerous reports on criminal activities and requests for assistance have been submitted to the Enugu State Universal Education Board (ENSUBEB). In July 2021, a request to collect a N500 levy per child for facility renovations was approved conditionally, shifting the financial burden to parents. Later, in March 2025, a request to collect a levy for employing a security guard was explicitly refused by ENSUBEB, citing non-approval by government agencies. This forced school authorities to seek private arrangements for security during school hours, which still left the school vulnerable at night. Similar pleas, like one in 2014 from then-head teacher Ngozi Orji to the police commissioner following a burglary, were met with instructions to report to the nearest police station, with no lasting resolution. The continuous security lapses have led to parents withdrawing their children, impacting enrollment, despite teachers' commitment to academic performance.

Despite Governor Peter Mbah’s substantial budgetary allocations to education—33% in 2024, 33.2% in 2025, and 32.27% in 2026, all exceeding UNESCO's recommended 15-20%—the practical support for schools like Airport Primary is absent. The school receives no government funding for running costs, forcing teachers to purchase basic supplies like chalk and parents to contribute N500 per child per term for clearing overgrown grass. The school also lacks functional toilet facilities, with an existing block vandalized and stripped of doors, windows, and seats, compelling pupils and teachers to resort to open defecation in nearby bushes, creating serious health risks and indignity. Furthermore, classrooms and the head teacher's office lack electricity and ceiling fans, exposing occupants to severe heat and allowing reptiles, such as snakes, to enter classrooms, posing immediate dangers to pupils.

The situation is equally dire at three