Residents Lament Dilapidation Of Public Schools, Shortage Of Teachers In Atakumosa LGAs

 

Yusuf Oketola

RESIDENTS of Atakumosa East and Atakumosa West local governments of the State of Osun have lamented the deplorable conditions of public primary and secondary schools in the area.

The schools, according to the residents, have been posing threat to the lives of pupils and students in the areas. 

The affected schools are: Igangan Grammar School, Igangan, Alagbon High School, Ita-Apa town, Oke Osin Grammar School, Oke-Osin and Community Middle/High School, Oko-Aago. 

Mr. Femi Oluwasanmi, a resident of Oke-Awo, called on the state government to protect the lives of pupils and students of the schools by renovating them on time.

According to Oluwasanmi, apart from the dilapidation of structure, the schools were also lacking in manpower, saying that there were no enough teachers there. 

He said: “Apart from the dilapidation of infrastructure in our public schools at Atakunmosa East/West Constituency, State of Osun, another problem begging for solution is lack of manpower in schools. 

“One of the teachers I met in one of the schools in 2019 told me that he was the only Physics teacher in Atakunmosa East Local Government Area employed by the government. In May 2021, I was also told that in Atakunmosa High School, Osu, Atakunmosa West Local Government Area, there were no Government and Civic Education teachers employed by the government. 

“If this can happen at Osu, what do you think will be happening in other schools that are in major areas in the two local government? There are schools in Atakunmosa East/West Constituency where students have no chairs and have to sit on bare floor.”

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER on Tuesday, a resident of Ita-Apa, Mr Segun Awotunde, said: “Schools in Igangan, Oke-Esin, Itagun, Ita-Apa, Oke-Ago and Ayinrin are not in good shape. They also lack teachers as well. The school that is very close to Christ Apostolic Church at Oko-Ago is the worse of all.  

“There are no enough teachers in these schools. Some of the teachers have been promoted since last administration but the promotion benefits are yet to come to them.”

Awotunde called on the state government to speedily embark on the reconstruction of the schools in the interest of the school children and the society.