Olatunji Felicia was excited when she received a transfer letter to become the principal of a junior secondary school in the Awon-Ga area of Kwara state. Before the appointment, she had heard a lot of stories about the condition of the school but she counted them as hearsay.
Nestled within the heart of the ancient Shao town in Moro Local Government of Kwara State, the school remains the first community secondary school to be founded in the area, and it serves as a citadel of learning for the people. Unfortunately, the school is now a ghost of itself.
When she arrived at the school to assume his official position, Felicia amazingly met only three students and two teachers. She had hoped for a blossoming academic environment, but her hope was dashed instantly. The thought of reviving the lost glory of the school became her first task of the day, she said.
“With the help of some staff, we went to persuade the parents in town to enrol their wards in Awon-Ga High School,” Felicia said. However, efforts to convince the parents of nearby students to take advantage of the school were futile, as they had all enrolled their children in other schools.
“The parents are all saying similar things that the school road is too far from town, and also the road is not in good condition for health,” she added.
Felicia noted that the shortage of teachers and the lethargic attitudes of the students were due to the terrible condition of the road network leading them to the school, forcing them to abandon the place. She recalled making several efforts to draw the attention of the government but they yielded no positive results.
“I met the Secretary for Education of Moro Local Government in July 2023, she only assured us to wait for some time as they will take action on it but no hope in sight till this moment,” she said.
Jimoh Comfort, a teacher who had worked at the school for decades, said he never imagined the school would become this terrible. “If there’s a school bus for transporting the students, it will inspire the parents to enrol their wards in the school, likewise those students that are from different villages, towns and cities will find it easier to attend the school,” she suggested.
She said the education ministry visited the school sometimes to look into the infrastructure, but they were not motivated to provide appropriate facilities because there were no students. “Despite the far distance, if the facilities are available, the parents will be delighted to enrol their children in the school,” she noted.
Emmanuel Adebara, a source with sufficient knowledge about the school, claimed that Awon-ga High School was left in shambles because of religious diversity among the Shao people, which has led to a situation whereby each sect prefers to cater for the schools established by them.
“In the late 1980s Awon-Ga High School had the records of being the best school which accommodated students from various states across Nigeria. People from distinct tribes – such as Igbos, Hausa, and Nupe, among others were enrolled in the school,” says Emmanuel, a local chief noted.
When contacted for comments, the chairman of the Shao Educational Committee, Kehinde Akano, claimed he is aware of the infrastructural problems and low turnout of students in the school, noting that he is committed to rebuilding the lost glory of the school.
“Donations would be sought and thrown to the communities as bait, in the form of scholarship and sponsorship, so maybe the parents will be paying only for their ward’s transport fare with the remaining responsibilities being taken care of with the donated fund,” the chairman said.
He implored the communities of Shao to put their hands together to move the school to the centre of the town so that it would be easy for the students, teachers or external visitors to have free will.
“With five blocks of classrooms, we will be able to house the students and a class for staff,” he added.
However, the Chairman of the Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, Isiaka Ganniyu Alkinla noted that the issue of the school has not been put to his desk, as he has no idea of the wreckage the school is currently facing. He directed this reporter to the supervisor for the education of the local government, Abel Awonsola.
When we contacted Awonsola for his comment he told this reporter that he was aware of the school’s condition. “I want to wait till my project of visiting so that I will visit the school formally and tender the appropriate feedback for the chairman,” he said.
