AKURE, NIGERIA — The Ondo State Special Primary School, Oba-Ile, Akure, is appealing for urgent government intervention as years of neglect leave its pupils learning under deteriorating conditions.
The school, which provides education and accommodation for motherless children, orphans and other vulnerable pupils, was established during the administration of the late Governor Adebayo Adefarati.
Although the challenges confronting the institution predate the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the worsening condition of the school has prompted calls for the governor to urgently rescue the facility and restore it to standard.
An observation by Starnews NG revealed damaged ceilings, deteriorating infrastructure and inadequate learning materials. Some pupils were also seen walking barefoot, while many reportedly lacked school uniforms and footwear.
The condition of some classroom ceilings poses a serious safety concern, with visible holes and signs of deterioration above pupils and teachers.
According to school insiders, the institution has suffered years of inadequate funding under successive administrations, including those of former governors Olusegun Agagu and the late Rotimi Akeredolu.
They appealed to Governor Aiyedatiwa to treat the situation as an urgent humanitarian and educational matter. The funding crisis has reportedly affected the conduct of terminal examinations and the registration of eligible pupils for the Common Entrance Examination.
Teachers are said to be using personal funds to print examination and report sheets, purchase writing materials and clear overgrown grasses around the school. One source said the school would have faced even greater difficulties without the intervention of non-governmental organisations and humanitarian groups.
The whiteboards, plastic chairs and tables currently used by the pupils were reportedly donated by NGOs, while the last batch of school uniforms was also provided by an external organisation.
“If not for NGOs, this school would have ceased to exist,” a source said.
The school’s attached orphanage home reportedly still benefits from the government’s feeding arrangement. However, insiders said the academic and infrastructural needs of the institution remained largely unmet.
The situation has renewed calls for the Ondo State Government, particularly the Ministry of Education, to assess the school and provide the necessary funding, uniforms, furniture, learning materials and structural repairs.
Rather than attributing the longstanding challenges solely to the current administration, the school management urged Governor Aiyedatiwa to use his office to end the cycle of neglect and give the vulnerable pupils a safe and dignified learning environment.
They also appealed to the governor to consider the immediate rehabilitation of the classrooms, payment of examination fees, provision of school uniforms and footwear, and improved welfare for both pupils and teachers.
Leave a Reply