Flood, Weeds Overtake Delta Primary School as Pupils Learn in Poor Conditions

Floodwater and overgrown weeds have taken over Ogini Primary School in Obotebe Community, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, leaving pupils and teachers to cope with deteriorating learning conditions.

A visit to the school found that most classrooms had no chairs or desks, while several roofs had been blown off. The overgrown vegetation around the premises has also raised concerns that reptiles could be hiding within the school compound.

The condition of the school has become a concern in Obotebe, the ancestral community of Burutu Local Government Council Chairman, Julius Takeme. The situation has prompted calls for urgent intervention to restore the school and provide a safer environment for pupils and teachers.

The school’s Assistant Headmaster, Okoye Young, said staff were doing their best to keep the school running despite the challenges.

“We just managing,” Young told reporters during a visit to the school.

He said the school was also facing a shortage of teachers, with only nine teachers currently serving the pupils. According to him, the riverine location makes it difficult to retain teachers posted to the community.

Young explained that some teachers decline to resume after being transferred to the area because of the difficult living conditions. He also identified the absence of staff quarters as another major challenge affecting the school.

The flooding has also disrupted academic activities. Young said pupils and teachers were forced to go on a two-week break because floodwater had taken over parts of the school compound.

He appealed to the government to sand-fill the school premises and address the infrastructure and staffing challenges. “If the government can help us to sand fill the school, the flood will be a thing of the past,” he said.