Education is often said to be the foundation of societal progress, but for pupils of Bare Primary School in Billiri, Gombe State, this promise feels like a distant dream. Despite government’s claims of prioritising education with grand projects like two-story school buildings across senatorial districts, Bare Primary School paints a starkly different picture – one of neglect and despair.
Established in 2005 under the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) programme, the school has been left to deteriorate for nearly two decades. Rather than symbolising growth, it stands as a glaring indictment of systemic failure, resembling an abandoned shelter rather than a place of learning.
A visit to the school unveils a distressing reality. Except for the head teacher’s office, none of the classrooms have doors, windows or proper roofing. Pupils endure lessons sitting on the bare ground, as the school lacks chairs, desks or any semblance of basic infrastructure. Teachers face similar harsh conditions, struggling to deliver quality education.
The school consists of a single block with two classrooms and a borrowed building. The borrowed structure is in equal disrepair, with no doors, windows or sufficient space to accommodate the ever-increasing number of pupils.
Currently, over 400 pupils are enrolled in Bare Primary School, a staggering number given the inadequate facilities. To manage the situation, classes are forced to merge into a single room, where Primary 1A, 1B and 1C pupils are crammed together. This overcrowding turns teaching and learning into an uphill battle.
In an interview, one pupil expressed frustration, saying, “Because we are children of the poor, the government has not fixed our school. If our parents had the means, they would transfer us to better schools.”
This sentiment encapsulates the plight of countless underprivileged children whose future is jeopardised by governmental indifference.
Adding to the dire situation, the local community has remained largely silent, failing to demand better conditions for the school. To make matters worse, the owner of the borrowed building has threatened to reclaim it, potentially leaving the pupils without a place to learn.
A community source noted that renovating the existing block of classrooms would not require significant resources. Yet, nearly 20 years have passed without any tangible effort to improve the school’s condition.
When approached, the Gombe State Commissioner for Education, Aishatu Umar Maigari, declined responsibility, saying the school falls under SUBEB’s jurisdiction.
The secretary of SUBEB, Babaji Babadidi, feigned ignorance about the school’s plight, saying that he initially mistook it for an almajiri school due to its condition. However, he pledged to investigate the matter in collaboration with the education secretary of Billiri Local Government.
Bare Primary School, located behind Galadima’s residence in the heart of the town, is grappling with significant challenges that hinder the quality of education and the wellbeing of both students and teachers.
Parents speak
Malam Yusuf Abdullahi, a former teacher at the school, who now works elsewhere, said that despite the difficult circumstances, teachers were doing their best. He mentioned that his two children in the school were performing well, academically. He lamented that the absence of chairs and teaching resources is affecting the pupils.
“Many children sit on the floor during lessons. And some leave the school because of poor learning environment,” Yusuf lamented. He added that some parents were transferring their children to better-equipped schools, such as Central Primary School or Ibinola, where learning conditions are more favourable.
Mrs Maryam Shu’aibu, a mother of three children enrolled at Bare Primary School, expressed frustration, saying, “I want to move my children to another school but financial constraints prevent me from doing so. We don’t pay tuition fees, only Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) dues of N200,” she said.
She called on the government to provide chairs, textbooks and other learning resources to ensure that children have a conducive learning environment before they transition to secondary education.
The school’s head teacher, Mrs Talatu Idi, painted a grim picture of the situation, saying, “The school lacks chairs, windows, doors and even proper roofing for classrooms. Students sit on the floor. The harsh environment sometimes leads to indiscipline on the part some pupils.”
Weekend Trust learnt that in some instances, children are forced to relieve themselves inside the classrooms due to lack of adequate facilities, further worsening the learning atmosphere.
Mrs Idi also revealed that teaching materials were scarce, adding that she personally pays the security guard’s salary as no budget provision has been made for it.
The district head of Bare, Galadiman Tangale, Alhaji Yunusa Adamu Galadima, said efforts to renovate the school had repeatedly failed, adding that letters had been sent to the relevant authorities, including SUBEB and the Education Department of the local government to no avail.
The education secretary of Billiri Local Government, Mr Titus Ladoji, confirmed that the school had not undergone any renovation since it was built in 2005. He acknowledged that Bare Primary School was among the schools in dire need of attention but not yet included in the list of those scheduled for repairs.
Also, despite efforts by the district head to install streetlights at the school to curb vandalism and theft, the situation has not changed.
