It was 1 p.m. The sun cast long shadows across the schoolyard of Government Day Senior Secondary School, Kofar Rini, Sokoto, where seven students, all aged less than 20, kicked around a football in front of the blackboard. The air was filled with laughter and the thud of the ball against the ground.

Their afternoon school session had just begun this time, but the usual hum of classrooms was absent. Suddenly, another student arrived—swiftly dropping his school bag and diving into the game enthusiastically.

No secondary school teacher was in sight to signal the beginning of any lesson, except the vice principal, who was addressing someone beside his office.

Ukasha Mustapha, an SS1 student, could be seen jumping and shouting joyfully over the football game during what was supposed to be learning time. One might wonder why he was so happy despite the lack of formal instruction.

“This is how we enjoy ourselves whether the teacher comes or not,” he said.

His words reflected a broader feeling among the students: a lack of concern for missed lessons, and the joy of playing football, and a contrast to what one might expect from a school environment.

Having spent almost an hour conducting interviews on the school premises, this reporter observed that only ten secondary students had arrived. The low attendance was telling.

Another SS1 Art student, Yakubu Musa, explained why he is discouraged from attending afternoon classes but does so because of parental pressure and the chance to play with friends.

“Our afternoon lesson is due to the unavailability of classrooms for senior students,” Yakubu explained.

“We were told that those yet-to-be-completed classroom buildings are for senior students. As a result, our lessons are shifted to the afternoon, and we share the same classrooms with our junior students. This demotivates me.”

Crowded classrooms stifle learning

Classroom overcrowding is a significant problem for Muhammad Sambo Buhari, an SS1 science student. According to him, the combination of overcrowded classes, afternoon heat, and noise from peers makes the learning environment unbearable.

“We are too many in my class—almost 80 students,” Muhammad lamented. “During tests or examinations, one will almost faint from the heat due to overcrowding.”

Muhammad believes the ineffective learning is due to inadequate learning facilities in those uncompleted buildings for senior classes.

“We don’t have enough classrooms due to the lack of chairs, tables, and blackboards in those new buildings.”

Experts say overcrowding classrooms comes with a lot of problems, among which would be health and psychological issues, as well as emotions and temperament.

Likewise they contend that there will also be a problem of bullying since some children are bigger. And this can also cause health issues with some of the children being psychologically disturbed.

N. I Lawal, a lecturer in the faculty of education, department of Science Education, Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State, stressed the solution to facilitate effective learning.

Mr Lawal maintained that the various governments should provide learning equipment, and more funding should be available in the government budget.

“At least (25%) of the government budget at all levels should be channelled to education. Donor agencies should also provide funding for education. Other members of society should be included in education funding, i.e., parents and teachers association, School Based Management Committee.”

He added that other sources, such as the Education Trust Fund and Tertiary Trust Fund, school levies (school fees) should be reintroduced as free education is not feasible in Nigeria.

Abandoned project

According to the 2022 Sokoto State Budget, the state government budgeted and approved N45.8 million for a project titled “Expansion of Government Day Secondary School Kofar Rini, Sokoto State.”

It was assigned to the Ministry of Basic Education during the administration of Governor Aminu Tambuwal.

UDEME, a platform monitoring government projects under the Centre for Journalism and Innovation Development, gathered that the expansion of the school had begun in 2019 and is yet to be completed.

It is unclear if the funds were fully released as it appeared as an approved budget in the state budget document.

Speaking with this reporter, the Vice Principal, Sheu Ibrahim, explained that the project to revamp the school facilities began in 2019 and was abandoned in 2022.

He further noted that the project was a direct project from the former governor of Sokoto, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to Mallam Mainasara Ahmed, the Secretary to the State Government, who attended and finished from the school.

“We are suffering from not having enough classrooms. Even some of our students are losing interest in coming to school due to the afternoon programme,” he said.

“We already have the building extension but no learning equipment to facilitate it. If we can complete the project, we will begin running the morning programme.”

He said the absence of an iron demarcation on the veranda of one of the buildings is another reason students are not allowed to take lessons upstairs, where some senior classes are located, to protect them from the risk of falling.

Efforts to hear from Government

The reporter’s efforts to get details of the contracts for the rehabilitation of the school were futile.

A letter was sent to the Ministry of Basic Education in Sokoto seeking permission to speak to the commissioner, but the ministry had yet to respond to the request for two weeks, and as s at the time of going to press.

According to Bashar Dambuwa, the Personal Assistant to the Sokoto State Commissioner for Education, the letter has been forwarded to the office of the Permanent Secretary for review. However, despite this submission for two weeks there was no response.

“I have submitted the letter to the office of the Permanent Secretary, but there has been no response yet. I will keep you updated as soon as I receive any information”, he told this reporter.

By: Abdullateef Abdullahi

This story was supported with funding from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).

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