Kobilmahigu E/A Primary school block develops deep cracks

Lack of maintenance has left the three-unit classroom block of the Kobilmahigu E/A Primary School in a bad state, which the users describe as a death trap.

Apart from the deep cracks in the building, the floors are also in a bad shape, a situation, which affects teaching and learning in the area.

This came to light during a visit to the school located in the Tolon District of the Northern Region.

Mr Iddrisu Alhassan, Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association of the School, in an interview, said “We fear for the pupils and teachers in the school should there be any rainstorm during school hours."

Mr Alhassan said the School, which served Kobilmahigu, Botingli, Bantoroyili, and some communities in the Tali Electoral Area in the district, had not seen any maintenance since it was built more than a decade ago.

He added that the three-unit classroom block could not accommodate all the classes, and thereby forcing teachers to combine pupils in the Kindergarten 1, 2, and Class 1 in one classroom, Classes 2 and 3 in another and the last Classroom for the 3 upper primary classes.

He reiterated the need for the Tolon District Assembly to renovate the existing three-unit classroom block of the School as well as build more classrooms to accommodate all the classes to ensure conducive teaching and learning environment for better education outcomes.

He said the Assembly should use the COVID-19 break to at least renovate the dilapidated classroom block before school resumed next year as directed by the President.

Hajia Balchisu Yakubu, Chief Executive for Tolon acknowledged the situation and said she recently visited the school and saw the pupils lying on the floor and she mobilized some furniture for the school to ameliorate the situation.
Hajia Yakubu said there were many schools with deep cracks in the district, adding that the Assembly had documented them and would be fixing the cracks as and when resources were available.

She could not give any timeline to fix the cracks at the school saying the Assembly was currently stretched in terms of resources.