A completed two-storey modern classroom block built by Governor Yusuf’s administration. The buildings are being erected in all primary and secondary schools across the state as part of interventions for state-of-emergency on education declared by Governor Yusuf
By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh/Kano
As Kano struggles to attain Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2025, open defecation continues to increase in the state due to the lack of standard toilets in major public primary and secondary schools across the state.
Our Correspondent reports that about eight Local Government Areas out of 26 open defecation-prone areas were last week declared Open Defecation Free, during World Toilet Day.
But findings by our Correspondent during the tour of standard facilities in public primary and secondary schools organized by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), indicated that some public schools in the state lack standard toilets.
As a result, students and pupils have resorted to defecating in the open space since there were no toilets for them to ease themselves.
The scenario played up at Yelwa Model Primary School in Dala Local Government Area where pupils confirmed to journalists that they defecated in the open space due to lack of toilet facilities.
Our Correspondent observed that only two sub-standard toilets are functional for both pupils and teachers.
According to the Headmaster of the school, Umar Aliyu, they face other challenges including an inadequate number of teachers to tutor the pupils.
The school, with a total enrollment of 1164 pupils, has only 31 teachers.
Aliyu also mentioned insecurity as another major challenge facing the school, lamenting that vandals recently stole valuables worth hundreds of thousands of Naira from the school.
“We need additional security guards because the three guards we have are ageing and can’t protect the school from vandals,” Aliyu said.
At Ungogo Special Primary School in Ungogo Local Government Area, the Headmaster, Haladu Tanko, lamented that the shortage of staff and toilets hamper academic activities.
He said only 15 teachers are taking care of 2943 pupils in the primary school, and called for quick intervention of the state government.
Recently, the state Governor, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf declared a state of emergency in primary and secondary schools across the state.
Our Correspondent observed that the government has commenced interventions in the provision of instructional materials, infrastructural facilities and employment of more teachers.
It was also observed that two-storey modern classroom blocks are being erected in all the schools visited.
While some have been completed, many nearing completion.
There were also provisions of new learning desks marked “Kwankwasiyya–Abba–Vida-Vida 2024,” installed in some of the classrooms where pupils were hitherto sitting on the floor while learning.
Stakeholders, however, believe that the state government need to expedite action towards ensuring that all public primary and secondary schools in the state meet up with the global standard of the learning environment.