95 pupils learn in one classroom at FCT school

Parents in Pandagi community of Abaji Area Council, FCT, have expressed concern over congestion at the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School.

During a visit to the community on Monday, parents told Abuja Metro that 95 pupils are forced to learn inside a single classroom due to the dilapidated state of the school’s infrastructure.

They noted that four classroom blocks, built several years ago, have fallen into disrepair, with their roofs blown off by windstorms, leaving the children with only one functional space to manage.

Danlami Shuaibu, a parent, told our reporter that combining multiple grades into one room has made the environment entirely unconducive for learning.

According to Shuaibu, this arrangement has persisted since 2014. Despite parents repeatedly calling on the LEA management to intervene, no positive response has been received.

“I cannot count how many times parents have cried out to the LEA management regarding this situation where over 95 pupils are packed into one room for lessons,” Shuaibu said.

The Chairman of the school’s Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Yakubu Hussain, echoed these concerns.

He attributed the congestion directly to the lack of usable buildings. He noted that while the school has enough desks and chairs, there are simply no roofs to put them under.

“As the PTA chairman, I have written to the LEA management in Abaji on several occasions about these dilapidated classrooms. The pupils have been managing this single room for over two years now,” Hussain stated.

He added that while LEA officials have visited to take photographs, no actual repairs have followed.

A teacher at the school, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the lack of space as the school’s primary challenge.

He noted that the school serves not only Pandagi but also neighboring communities including Alu, Mawogi, Rimba, and Nanda.

“Despite the fact that children travel from all these villages to attend school here, the LEA has failed to address this challenge for over two years,” the teacher said.

A survey of the premises by our reporter revealed that the roofs of four blocks (containing three classrooms each) have been completely blown off, and the ceilings have caved in.

A senior staff member at the Abaji LEA, who also requested anonymity, confirmed that the works department has assessed the buildings. He stated that a report would be forwarded to the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) for urgent action.

“The LEA works department has already visited the school and documented the damage. These photos will be attached to a formal report and forwarded to FCT UBEB for intervention,” the official said.

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