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It was 1 p.m. The sun cast long shadows on the schoolyard of Government Day Senior Secondary School, Kofar Rini, Sokoto, where seven students, all under the age of 20, were playing ball in front of a blackboard. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and the sound of the ball hitting the ground.
Their afternoon school session had just begun this time, but the usual hum of the classroom was nowhere to be heard. Suddenly, another student came in—quickly dropping his school bag and jumping into the game with great enthusiasm.
There were no high school teachers in sight to signal the start of class, except for the vice principal, who was talking to someone next to his office.
Ukasha Mustapha, an SS1 student, was seen jumping and cheering during a football match, even though it was supposed to be study time. One might wonder why he was so excited even though there was no formal lesson.
“This is how we have fun, whether the teacher comes or not,” he said.
His words reflect a wider feeling among students: a lack of concern for missed lessons, and a joy in playing football, and a contrast to what one might expect from a school environment.
After spending almost an hour conducting interviews in the school premises, the reporter observed that only ten high school students were present. The low attendance of students shows this.
Another SS1 Arts student, Yakubu Musa, explained why he was not enthusiastic about attending afternoon classes but did so because of parental pressure and the opportunity to play with his friends.
“We hold afternoon lessons because there are no classrooms available for senior students,” explained Yakubu.
“We were told that the unfinished classroom building was for senior students. As a result, our lessons were moved to the afternoon, and we shared the same classroom with junior students. This made me lose motivation.”
Overcrowded classrooms hinder learning
Overcrowding in classes is a significant problem for Muhammad Sambo Buhari, an SS1 science student. He said the combination of crowded classrooms, the heat of the day, and noise from peers made for an uncomfortable learning environment.
“There are too many students in my class—almost 80 students,” Muhammad complained. “During exams or tests, one person almost fainted from the heat because there were too many students.”
Muhammad believes that the ineffective learning is caused by the lack of learning facilities in the unfinished buildings for the senior classes.
“We do not have enough classrooms due to the lack of chairs, tables and blackboards in the new buildings.”
Experts say overcrowded classes will cause many problems, including health and psychological problems, as well as emotional and temperament problems.
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They also argue that there will be bullying issues as some children are older. And this can also lead to health problems as some children develop psychological disorders.
N. I Lawal, a lecturer in the faculty of education, department of Science Education, Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State, emphasized solutions to facilitate effective learning.
Mr Lawal argued that governments should provide learning equipment, and more funds should be made available in government budgets.
“At least (25%) of the government budget at all levels should be channeled to education. Donor agencies should also provide funds for education. Other community members should be involved in funding education, namely parent-teacher associations, School-Based Management Committees.”
He added that other sources, such as the Education Trust Fund and Tertiary Trust Fund, school levies (school fees) should be reintroduced as free education is not possible in Nigeria.
Abandoned projects
According to the 2022 Sokoto State Budget, the state government budgeted and approved N45.8 million for a project titled “Expansion of Government Secondary School Kofar Rini, Sokoto State.”
The task was handed over to the Ministry of Basic Education during the administration of Governor Aminu Tambuwal.
UDEME, a platform that monitors government projects under the Center for Journalism and Innovation Development, gathered that the school expansion had started in 2019 and had not been completed.
It is unclear whether the funds have been fully disbursed as they appear as approved funds in state budget documents.
Speaking with this reporter, the Vice Principal, Sheu Ibrahim, explained that the school facilities improvement project started in 2019 and was abandoned in 2022.
He further noted that the project was a direct project of the former governor of Sokoto, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to Mallam Mainasara Ahmed, Secretary to the State Government, who attended and graduated from the school.
“We are struggling because we don’t have enough classrooms. Some of our students even lost interest in coming to school because of the afternoon program,” he said.
“We already have a building expansion, but no learning equipment to facilitate it. If this project can be completed, we will start running a morning program.”
He said the absence of iron barriers on the veranda of one of the buildings was another reason why students were not allowed to attend classes on the upper floors, where some senior classes are located, to protect them from the risk of falling.
Efforts to hear input from the Government
Journalists’ efforts to obtain details of the school rehabilitation contract were in vain.
A letter was sent to the Ministry of Basic Education in Sokoto seeking permission to speak to the commissioner, but the ministry has not responded to the request for two weeks, and as of the time of going to press.
According to Bashar Dambuwa, Personal Assistant to the Sokoto State Commissioner for Education, the letter was forwarded to the Permanent Secretary’s office for review. However, despite being submitted for two weeks, there was no response.
“I have submitted a letter to the Secretary General’s office, but there has been no response. I will continue to inform you if there is any information,” he told this reporter.
By: Abdullateef Abdullahi
This story was supported by funding from the Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
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