Learning with tears: Ikare Akoko bemoans state of community’s historic school

The condition of one of the historic secondary schools in Ikare Akoko, Agbaode/Orimolade Secondary School, Ikare Akoko (established in 1980 by the state’s first civilian governor, Pa Adekunle Ajasin) is begging for attention. Parents, pupils and residents have expressed sadness over the deplorable state of the schools in the town, particularly Agbaode/Orimolade Secondary School. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI after a visit to the school reports the various sides to the decay.

Agbaode/Orimolade Grammar School, in Ikare Akoko in Akoko North East Local Government Area of Ondo State, was one of the schools established in 1980 by the first civilian governor of the state, the late Pa Adekunle Ajasin, during the introduction of free education by the then Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

Then, the schools used to be Agbaode Grammar School and Orimolade Grammar School. They were named after two prominent figures who hailed from the ancient town. While Agbaode was the first Owa Ale and said to be the founder of Ikareland in the 13th century, Moses Orimolade was the founder of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church worldwide who also hailed from the town. The schools were however merged in 1990 to become Agbaode/Orimolade Grammar School, in Ikare Akoko.

But the school, which in the past, had produced prominent personalities in the state including the former Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan, who was a former principal of the school, had seen its better days because of its alleged neglect by the state government and other stakeholders.

Nigerian Tribune was attracted to the plight of the students of the school following the alarm raised by parents of the students as well as residents of the community. However, a visit to the school confirmed the fears of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the school and showed dilapidated school building while students were seen learning in ramshackle structures without facilities for effective learning or assimilation.

 

No doors, no windows; students at the mercy of the elements

Most of the structures within the school compound were begging for attention, the walls bore cracks; a sign they had lived out their days; the floors of several classrooms had dust, while some of the students were covered in dust. The roofs of some classrooms had been blown off; no doors or windows, exposing the students to the elements. The Junior Secondary School block was nothing to write home about as some of the students were seen learning in uncompleted structures.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the school principal had travelled to Akure on an official duty. However, one of the teachers who spoke on a condition of anonymity, lamented the deplorable state of facilities in the school, saying this “has being hindrance to learning.”

 

Student injured as roof caves in

He recalled that one of the students was rushed to a nearby hospital recently when the roof of one of the buildings caved in on him during class hour, but said luckily, the little boy only suffered a minor injury. He said teachers and students could not exchange knowledge during rainy seasons due to leakages, which, according to him, pose a big risk to students in the school, noting that the state of the school affects students’ health negatively and their ability to assimilate during learning.

The teacher explained further that many letters had been written to the Ministry of Education in Akure and the local government council officials, drawing their attention to the deplorable state of facilities in the school but without any positive response.

He said some parents were forced to take their children to other schools because of the poor state of the school.

He said the Parent-Teacher Association, (PTA) has been the major financier of some projects in the school but also lamented shortage of teachers in the school, saying “except regular payment of staff salary, no standard library and science laboratory in the school.”

 

‘We take classes under trees’

One of the students, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune, identified himself simply as Sikiru. According to him, “For us, learning has been painful. We do learn under trees sometimes in the afternoons when the classrooms become very hot. We have no ceiling. When it rains, you will feel very sorry for us. How do we cope or learn in such unfriendly conditions? And yet we are expected to do well in our examinations.”

He, however, appealed to the state government to come to their aid and provide a conducive, learning environment, saying “the government should help us to rebuild most of the structures. If urgent attention is not given to the school, it might eventually be abandoned and the name of the school might be forgotten.  Whenever it rains in the morning, students feel discouraged to attend school because the classrooms would have become flooded. Our teachers also work in terrible condition.”

Another teacher who also spoke on the condition of the anonymity said the “The PTA used to be very active. Our school really needs the state government’s attention. How I wish governor Akeredolu would visit us here and observe our plight.”

 

We need help —Community leader

One of the community leaders, Basiru Adekile, appealed to the state government, old students of Agbaode/Orimolade Grammar School and well-meaning Ikare indigenes and the C&S Church worldwide to come to the aid of the school.

“Our passionate appeal is to the community, leadership of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church worldwide and the Ondo State government to assist in order to bring this school out of the unfortunate condition it has found itself.”

A member of the PTA, Mr Ahmed Ogunsakin said the blame should not be laid at the doorsteps of the present administration in the state. According to him, the immediate past administration failed to renovate existing structures in schools but embarked on the construction of mega schools in places where those schools were not needed.

“The buildings you see at the school came up through our efforts; government built mega schools in the past, abandoning existing schools. But I want to beg the state governor to rescue the school by embarking on urgent renovation and completion of classrooms at the school.

“Look at the state of the road from the heart of Ikare to this school. We have the school, Ikare township stadium and Awara Dam that should be supplying potable water to the entire Akoko but nothing is happening there.”

Apart from the Agbaode Orimolade Grammar School, it was discovered that many other schools in the area suffer the same fate. Other schools visited in Ikare with collapsed structures include: Agolo High School, Osele High School, Ansarudeen (AUD) Grammar school and Ikare Grammar School..

Ololade Ismail, parent to a student, said, “AUD Grammar School used to be our pride in Akoko, especially people from Ikare, Ogbagi, Arigidi, Irun and many other neighbouring communities. The hostels have been converted to classrooms, and even the existing classrooms are no longer conducive for learning.”

A community leader, the Majekobaje of Ikare, Saliu Okoja appealed to the Ondo state government and old students of the affected schools to come to their aid, lamenting that the future of Ikare was in danger if government failed to embark on massive renovation and face-lift of the schools.

“The governor must be interested in the renovation of these schools. A lot of schools in this area are in bad shape. Our governor should look into the renovation of these schools.”

 

We have commenced renovation of 500 schools—Ondo state government

Speaking on the development, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Yemi Olowolabi said the state government had commenced renovation of about 500 schools in the state, noting that if the previous administration had embarked on similar rescue mission, there would not have been rot and decay of facilities in most of the schools.

Olowolabi said most of the schools were affected by natural disaster but said the Commissioner of Education had briefed the governor about the development and efforts are ongoing to renovate the schools soon and put some of the infrastructural facilities in the affected schools to proper shape.