Inside FCT community school, where pupils sit on the floor

Parents have expressed concern over the overcrowding of pupils at the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School in Dukpa community, Ibwa ward, Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT.

Some parents, who spoke with Abuja Metro during a visit to the school on Monday, said the institution lacks sufficient desks and chairs, a situation they say has forced most pupils to sit on the bare floor for lessons.

They added that the absence of furniture and instructional materials has made learning and teaching conditions highly unconducive.

Mr. Barnabas Ishaku, a parent, noted that the lack of infrastructure to accommodate the pupils is a major challenge facing the school.

He noted that the poor conditions—specifically the lack of desks and chairs and the dilapidated state of some classrooms—have forced some parents to transfer their children to other schools.

According to him, both pupils and teachers are subjected to undignified environments where they struggle to find a place to sit.

“If you observe, some of the pupils are forced to sit on bare floors in overcrowded classrooms with no support for effective learning, while the teachers don’t have chairs to sit on either,” he said.

A teacher at the school, who identified himself as Gabriel, confirmed that the furniture deficit has been a persistent issue for years.

He explained that despite the high population of pupils, there are not enough desks and chairs for everyone.

“That is why we have to combine pupils from two classrooms into one in order to teach them,” he said.

Gabriel added that the deplorable conditions affect staff morale, noting, “Some of us sit on window sills during lessons while pupils sit on the floor.”

The Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Benjamin Markus, said the association has written to the LEA management in the council on several occasions requesting furniture, but these efforts have not yielded a positive response.

“In fact, one cannot recall the number of times we have written to the LEA office in Gwagwalada about the lack of desks and chairs, but nothing has been done,” Markus said.

He urged the LEA management to liaise with the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) to provide desks and chairs and renovate the dilapidated classrooms.

“It is embarrassing that pupils are seen sitting on the bare floor taking lessons in an FCT school. I believe this does not portray the FCT education sector in a good light,” he added.

When contacted, the Secretary of the Gwagwalada Local Education Authority, Gana Mamman, did not respond to calls regarding the development.

However, a senior official at the LEA office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confided in our reporter that the office had already written to the FCT UBEB requesting furniture.

“In fact, it is not only Dukpa LEA Primary School; several primary schools in rural communities across Gwagwalada are facing similar infrastructure challenges,” the source said.

Also, an official at the FCT UBEB disclosed that the board has captured the renovation of schools and the provision of infrastructure for selected LEA schools in Gwagwalada in its current budget.

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