Pupils in Kano community study under trees due to dilapidated,collapsed classrooms
In the Turawa community of Karaye Local Government Area, Kano State, primary school pupils are learning in open spaces under trees due to the collapse of most classroom blocks in their school.
The situation has become so dire that whenever it rains, teachers have no choice but to send the children home, cutting their learning hours and disrupting the academic calendar.
SolaceBase observed that out of the six classroom blocks in the school, three are completely damaged and unusable. The remaining three are in deplorable condition, and two have no roofs, exposing pupils to harsh sun and rainfall. In contrast, the only functional block has no floor, forcing children to sit directly on bare sand during lessons.
With over 1,000 pupils enrolled in the school, the available structures are grossly inadequate, leaving teachers overwhelmed and students stranded during unfavourable weather conditions.
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One of the teachers, who asked not to be named, expressed deep frustration over the situation. “When it’s sunny, we try to manage under the trees, but when it rains, the only option we have is to close school and ask the children to go home. The classrooms are not safe. Some have completely collapsed, and others are on the verge of falling.”
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Parents in the community are deeply worried about the impact on their children’s education.
“How can our children compete with others in the city when they are learning under trees or sitting on sand?” asked Malam Haruna Ibrahim, a father of four. “The government must come and see this with their own eyes. We are being left behind.”
Another parent, Aisha Sani, added, “Many of these children walk long distances to come to school every day, only to be sent back home when it rains. How can they learn like this?”
The head of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) in the community, Malam Sulaiman Idris, stated that the school had written several letters to the local government and the state Ministry of Education, but had yet to receive a response. “We’ve cried out for help, but no one is listening. All we want is for our children to learn in safe classrooms like every other child in Nigeria.”
Community leaders are now appealing to the Kano State Government, donor agencies, and well-meaning individuals to come to the aid of Turawa Primary School by rebuilding the classrooms and providing furniture and learning materials.
“These children are the future of our community,” said the village head’s representative, Nazifi Ibrahim Muhammad. “If we neglect their education today, we are creating a bigger problem for tomorrow.”
Speaking on the issue of dilapidated schools in Kano, the Commissioner of Education, Alhaji Ali Bukar Makoda, said the state government inherited many run-down school buildings, and the current administration is working hard to restore the education sector to normalcy.
“These dilapidated schools in Kano are part of what we inherited when this administration came into office. We are currently renovating them,” he said.
“Immediately after the Governor of Kano State was sworn in, in May 2023, one of his first actions was to set up a fact-finding committee to assess the true condition of the education sector.”
“The committee visited all 44 Local Government Areas and submitted its report. Unfortunately, the findings were disheartening; the education sector had been neglected for many years, and the state of the schools was extremely poor.”
“This was what led Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to declare a state of emergency in the education sector,” he added.
“Kano, as it stands now, is a state with a unique demographic, and the government is committed to addressing the challenges facing the education system.”
For now, the children of Turawa continue to learn beneath the trees, hoping for the day when they, too, will sit in proper classrooms and receive the quality education they deserve.
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