Strategies for improving school facilities and classrooms

By: Ejuchegahi A. Angwaomaodoko

AN African maxim says ‘there is no palm wine without the palm tree’. The old saying expresses a universal truth: that no fulfilled society emerges from a vacuum. It warns that the foundation of an education system that would serve the collective good of both individuals and the society should be rooted in an unquestionable foundation. And, that such a foundation should be built on quality infrastructure, across the primary, secondary and tertiary phases of education.  Contrary to the ideal, the Nigerian reality of school infrastructure is grim and disturbing. There is a mix of reported and unreported cases of dilapidated school buildings, pupils forced to learn under trees or sit on bare floors. In large numbers, students are exposed to harsh and inadequate learning conditions and experiences whose damaging effects extend beyond the classroom. In bad or non-existent facilities, these students are placed at a disadvantage compared to their peers in well-resourced schools.

The primary purpose of a school, as a matter of fact,becomes easily undermined if it lacks the essential infrastructure required to develop students cognitively, socially, physically and emotionally. When a school fails to equip learners with values and relevant skills like critical thinking, it becomes an ineffective place which cannot fulfill its operational mandate. Globally, the quality of education that pupils or students receive has direct connection to the availability or lack of physical facilities and overall atmosphere in which learning exercise takes place. The absence of physical facilities, such as classrooms, laboratories, libraries, furniture and utility structures, leaves more thana measurable impact on students. Its deficiencies manifest in varying degrees, collectively accounting for the quality of citizens and spate of national development.

A conducive learning environment is a place where staff and students’ physical and emotional needs are met. These needs may include the provision of staff rooms, sporting facilities, adequate sanitary facilities, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and other innovative aids, which jointly helps to optimize teaching and learning experience. Theseschool infrastructural facilities could help to illustrate, serve experimentation function, provoke diversity of thoughts, as well as provide comfort. The Nigerian reality, unfortunately, is that infrastructural inefficiency is generally overlooked. Several schools, with some established decades ago, have never undergone renovation, leaving their once classic architecture obsolete in function.

This tragedy is more serious than imagined. A 2022 report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that 62 per cent of schools lack access to potable water, 78 per cent do not have functional sanitation facilities, only 35 per cent have libraries, and fewer than 10 per cent possess functional laboratories for science-related subjects. These conditions are further reflected in the recurring industrial actions frequently undertaken by staff unions, particularly at the tertiary level. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), like many other sister unions, has repeatedly cited the poor state of university infrastructure as a key factor behind its decades-long struggle with governments at all levels. The pro-welfare struggle has left the academic staff union to be famous with fighting the government for basic welfare concerns.

Infrastructural concern is an essential constituent of every school system. If good school infrastructure gives meaning to teaching and learning experience, then poor infrastructure, on the contrary, hampers the same purpose. For instance, an overcrowded classroom hinders effective teaching and deny students the individualized attention they require. With each subject demanding effective communication, like a bird flying with the strength of what it eats, only what learners acquire at the three foundational educational stages shape their lifelong worth. It is what they would bank on for the individual benefit and the social good. Hence, the lack of adequate school amenities has both remote and immediate repercussions. Poor or non-existent infrastructural architecture can compromise even students’ health. It can stifle meaningful learning, obstructs skill development and demoralize both teachers and students from giving the very best to their educational roles.

Nigeria’s infrastructural system is a result of neocolonial policies and philosophies, which have relegated education into a ‘sector-thing’, rather than a national priority. Like the ‘palm wine-palm tree’ proverb, nothing truly emanates from a vacuum. The current system has endured and at the same time deteriorated, largely because of the nature and quality of policies formulated and implemented by the changing governments. Since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999, public education funding has merely peaked at 13 per cent of the total federal budget in 2008, while allocations in other years have ranged between 1 per cent and 9 per cent. In simple words, the nation’s education sector has taken the unattractive form of what has been inadequately provided for it.

Combined, these annual allocations have been insufficient to critically address the widespread infrastructural deficits confronting primary, secondary and tertiary institutions across the country. With crumbling classrooms, overcrowded lecture halls, inadequate halls of residence, limited furniture, absence of teaching and learning aids, poor sanitation and water facilities, dysfunctional libraries and laboratories, as well as poor ventilation being the realities of many schools, the overall outcome of education has continued to tell a sour tale.Also, the inability to reduce the cost of infrastructural management practices, through actions that eliminate waste or carefully selectinfrastructural needs, could make funds hardly sourced unwisely used.

Education in Nigeria has remained vulnerable for a prolonged period, with most school facilities in deplorable, inadequate or neglected categories. A combination of structural, financial and governance-related factors account for the nationwide deterioration of these infrastructures. These factors, including inadequate funding, poor maintenance culture, corruption and mismanagement, rapid growth in student population, weak needs assessment or planning, policy inconsistency, as well as proliferation of abandoned projects, collectively drive the setbacks that define the current state of infrastructural decay. Inexcusable as they are, these vulnerabilities unfortunately have continued to shape student outcomes and undermine the overall quality of the country’s education performance.

To reposition school infrastructure in order to meet acceptable standards, a broad and coordinated set of solutions must be undertaken by all stakeholders. The role of government remains the most paramount. The absence of an up-to-date national database, detailing existing and projected educational assets constitutes a major challenge and a critical barrier to effective reform. Comprehensive data bythe ministry of education, which does not merely audit the problems, wouldequally help to enhance accountability, guide prioritisation and encourage sustainable solutions. Simply establishing accurate records of the number and distribution of schools and infrastructural assets or needs across geopolitical regions, states and local governments would also help to enhance effective monitoring and planning.

Nigeria’s annual budgets, which often claim to be the best possible versions of itself yearly, despite evident shortcomings, need to be improved, stringently monitored and judiciously utilised. For instance, the current allocation of N3.52 trillion in the 2025 budget does not suffice to what is promptly needed to reposition the education at both the federal and subnational levels. The pressing need to increase allocation to education to meet global standards cannot be overemphasised. More funds should be earmarked for school infrastructure and directed towards construction, rehabilitation and routine maintenance, recognising that school facilities nationwide exist in varying state of conditions. Innovative funding mechanisms, such as donations, alumni support, and public-private partnerships, should also be encouraged and effectively utilised to attract more of such commitment.

The world is resolving human concerns with corresponding sensitivity. School infrastructures should be built in learner-centered styles. Proper layout, convenient seating, good acoustics for easy class comprehensionand adequate lighting are necessities that must be considered in civil construction of schools. Inclusive designs that accommodate persons with disabilities are also essential considerations. This is important as about 35.1 million persons live with disabilities in Nigeria, according to the World Health Organisation estimation. Government at all levels, particularly the Ministries of Education and Works must ensure physical, academic and social barriers are removed to ensure that all students can benefit from the use of school facilities. The provision of learning tools like braille textbooks, hearing aids, screen readers and speech-to-text software, which are used in other climes, should be provided across special schools.

To ensure sustained enhancement of school infrastructures, preventive maintenance and facility management measures must be incorporated into the school system. Often, school facilities deteriorate rapidly due to the absence of structured systems responsible for inspection, servicing and timely repairs. Institutionalising preventive maintenance is a proactive approach that would ensure that facilities last longer until they eventually become unusable. Such systems, which at best can be administered at the local government levels, would help prevent unused or abandoned facilities from littering school premises. A government partnership with a private carpentry enterprise, for instance, can be explored to fix worn-out facilities at a susbsidised rate, per the number of schools in the local government area.

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Ondo’sSt. Andrew Grammar school building collapse of May 24, 2019, which led to the sudden death of a female student and other incidents alike make it important to specifically also urge government authorities to embrace prevention strategies that can help prevent quick dilapidation and collapse of school buildings. Moreover, architectural attention should be paid to how schools are constructed in relation to their climatic and geographical conditions. Areasthat are prone to flooding would require elevated structures and effective drainage systems that should be regularly maintained. In sunny regions, like in the north, proper ventilation and heat-resistant materials should be consciously prioritised during construction.

•Angwaomaodoko, a veteran educational researcher and  Doctor of Education (in view), writes in from Kogi State.