Flooding has taken over the premises of Alderstown School for the Deaf located in the heart of Warri, Delta State.
Checks by Tribune Online on Monday and Tuesday revealed that the school compound, located at 13 Skin Road, Warri, is periodically flooded with water.
During the checks, a block of four classrooms, two offices and two toilets were filled with water; making them unusable for both pupils and school staff.
Weather agencies had earlier named Delta State as one of the South-South states that would experience heavy rainfall and possible flooding.
Speaking with a parent of one of the pupils, she bemoaned the development saying: “the rains have started and become heavier as the days pass by. This has negative effects on the school property.”
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A staff of the school, who claimed anonymity to avoid victimisation, said the Alderstown School for the deaf in Warri has become an eyesore, especially during the rains.
“The sight isn’t good. I’m aware our headteacher had been forwarding memos to the relevant authorities before now with no positive response.
“With the school environment in such a flooded condition, how can the pupils learn? Does the government expect the pupils to sit in classrooms filled with water?
“Let me remind you that pupils in Primary 6 have resumed, do the government expect them to walk through the water just to be able to get to their classrooms; wading through such voluminous water is unhealthy because nobody knows what lies underneath it,” the official lamented.
Another worried official of the school, who also chose not to be named, said “The present Delta State government should be able to do more when it comes to the education sector; they can’t reopen schools when the situation of the schools is bad.
“Also, the pupils can’t continue to stay at home that is why the government should endeavour to visit this school and put things in order because if the rains continue to fall like this for a week, then there will be no place for these pupils to learn.”
Meanwhile, messages sent to the state’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Patrick Ukah were not responded to before filing the report.
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