As public and private schools resume for the First Term of the 2024/2025 academic session in Nasarawa State, no fewer than 350 students of the Government Secondary School Sarkin Noma in the Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State are currently stranded due to the absence of classrooms in the school.
Arewa PUNCH reports that GSS Sarkin Noma, since its establishment in the year 2003 by the then administration of former Governor Abdullahi Adamu is yet to receive the Nasarawa State Government’s attention till date as not a single classroom has been built by the government.
The current dilapidated structure in the school premises comprising two blocks of classrooms, an examination hall and staff office were built by students of the school and residents of the community who are predominantly small-scale farmers and petty traders.
Arewa PUNCH further gathered that the only toilet facility currently being used in the school was built many years ago by members of the National Youth Service Corps who were posted to the school to teach the students.
This situation had discouraged some parents in the area from sending their children and wards to school for fear of the unknown as the current structure in the school built through the efforts of the community it feared would collapse anytime soon.
A resident of the community who simply identified himself as Zubeiru Yakubu lamented what he called the “unreasonable abandonment” of the secondary school by the government.
Therefore, he appealed to Governor Abdullahi Sule to, as a matter of urgency, look into the situation with a view to providing classrooms for the students.
Yakubu said, “The GSS Sarkin Noma has been established for many years now but unfortunately, it has been unreasonably abandoned by our different governments.
“The school has been of great help to this community because many of the residents who could not attend private schools and other expensive schools, gain admission into the school, and they were taught by the teachers.
“The school has been a blessing to our community. But our challenge has always been the absence of classrooms and other necessary facilities. It bothers me that since the Government Secondary School was established in the year 2003, the state government has not built even a classroom in the school.
“The structure built by the community is already in bad shape. We are worried because we are now in the rainy season. This issue could hinder parents and guardians from releasing their children to go to school, especially during this rainy season, and such development could affect their education negatively.’’
“My sister’s children attend the school, and it has been giving me a lot of concern because of the dilapidated state of the school. Anytime the weather threatens to rain as if rain, I get scared because I remember them and other children studying within the school premises.
“I am appealing to the Nasarawa State government under the leadership of Governor Abdullahi Sule to urgently look into this matter so that the school can be built for the benefit of the community and the state at large.”
Another resident of the Sarkin Noma community, Yuhana Isah, told Arewa PUNCH that the situation could discourage the students from going to school if not immediately addressed.
Thus, he too appealed to the Nasarawa State government to collaborate with the State Ministry of Education to swiftly build new classrooms and other necessary facilities in the school.
“The reason I am worried about this situation is that before now, most residents of the community were not interested in getting educated, but with concerted efforts, they started going to school.
“So, as a community, we do not want anything that will discourage our young ones from getting good and sound education,” he said.
Confirming the matter to our correspondent on Monday, one of the school teachers who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, said since he was employed to teach in the school for close to seven years now, and since he joined the school, he has yet to witness any form of support from the state government in the school.
He explained that the community had on several occasions written letters to several government ministries and agencies on the need to come to their aid to rebuild the school, but insisted that no positive response had been so far received.
While describing Governor Abdullahi Sule as a loving and caring father, he pleaded with him to consider the sufferings of the students in the GSS Sarkin Noma, urging that an inspection team be sent to the community to get first-hand information on the matter.
He stressed, “As I speak with you now, one part of the school building built by the community has been destroyed by thunderstorms. You can imagine what it means for over 350 students from JSS 1 to SS 3 to use only two small classes for study.
“There are no seats, no proper blackboards, no good toilets, no library, no textbooks, and we also do not have science teachers. We have been doing our best to ensure that the students get a sound education, but we need the support of the government to make the school environment conducive to make learning easy for the students.
“Also, the school is located close to a forest in the Sarkin Noma community. Those living in Keana LGA will understand what I am saying, and there is no security presence in the area.
“So, apart from the school building, we are equally appealing to the Nasarawa State government to build a fence for the school and work towards deploying security operatives to the area to protect lives and properties.”
While reacting, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Education, John Mamman promised to look into the matter to address the concerns raised by the people of the Sarkin Noma community in the Keana LGA.
However, he disclosed that the state government had made arrangements to commence the building and renovation of about 690 schools across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state to provide conducive learning environments for students in the state.
“A lot of activities in the education industry are going to happen between now and the end of the year. The state government has placed emphasis on education, and we are working towards alleviating the challenges in the industry.
“Governor Abdullahi Sule has passion, hope, and interest in education, so every community should have hope that they will not be left behind. This is because we are aware that education is the masterpiece and gateway to the development of society,” he added.
