From Rauf Oyewole, Bauchi
Teachers and pupils of Alkaleri Central Primary School in Bauchi State are now struggling for space with traders who have taken over the school to transact on farm produce.
Established over 84 years ago, the school has slipped into place of selling of farm produce as the popular Alkaleri Sunday market holds within the fenceless premises and classrooms of the school.
The Guardian observed that farmers and traders convey their goods to the ‘market’ two days ahead of the market day and burgle the classes to keep their goods.
Also, buyers who cannot transport their goods immediately move them to various classes and leave heaps of grains on the premises. The school’s administrative blocks were not spared, as grains were seen covering the entrance of the principal’s office. One of the teachers said that some of the traders broke into the staff room to pick their marker pens.
“Market activities are really taking over school activities. We have to clean up the mess –first thing on Monday morning since the market day is on Sundays. Our facilities are being overstretched. Toilet facilities are broken, water and pupils’ extra curriculum playing facilities are being vandalised.
“They defecate around the classroom windows, and the odour is disturbing. Most of our furniture is gone. Students now sit on the floor,” one of the workers said.
Alkaleri Local Council, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has the highest number of out-of-school children in Bauchi, although the Ministry of Education said it has reduced the number by 50 per cent.
An education expert, Abubakar Usman, said there is no reason the government should not separate the market by building a perimeter fence that will stop the encroachment.
He said, “There is no way proper school learning can take place in the marketplace. These are two different activities. The school is polluted and requires urgent attention.
“The market has been obstructing the school for a very long time, and it seems that the authority’s hands are tied. They cannot stop the encroachment while the pupils keep suffering. We are just pretending to be giving education. Which type of education are we giving in this kind of condition?”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr Abdullahi Mohammed directed inquiries to his assistant, Mr Shehu Yusuf for comment.
Yusuf told The Guardian on telephone that he was aware that the government had awarded a perimeter fence contract for the school but could not provide details for the delay. He also promised to get more details from the Director in charge of the issue but was yet to do so, as at press time.
