Safe school: Group urges Gombe govt to rehabitate school infrastructure

Some Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in Gombe, have urged the state government to rehabilitate dilapidated school structures to avert building collapse.Malam Adamu Aliyu, the representative of the group, stated this on the sidelines of the State Level Sensitisation on the implementation of Safe School Declaration in Deba, Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of the state.He said the call was imperative to facilitate rehabilitation of dilapidated school structures to avert building collapse, especially in rural areas.Adamu, who is also the Master Trainer, Safe School Declaration Initiative in the state, said the measure would secure the school enviroment.'Even though Gombe is peaceful in terms of other threats but in the area of infrastructure, the assesment report showed that they have scored 13 per cent, which is very low.'This signifies that government needs to do more in rural communities because the structures in the urban areas are stronger.'At Central Primary School, Deba, there are crack s on some of the buildings and damaged floors. Intruders are coming in to the school left and right because it is poros,' he said.He said the School Based Management Committee had conducted minor repairs in the school, adding that, 'there are things beyond their capacity like perimeter fencing and presence of security personnel day and night.'We are calling on government to invest more in school infrastructure at the rural level,' he said.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Gombe government in collaboration with the UNICEF is implementing a safe school intervention programmes, designed to secure schools from violence and other threats as well as provide safe teaching and learning environment.See also Minister hosts VCs, pledges to address fundamental issues in educationMeanwhile, the Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), has inaugurated SBMC's in 70 schools across the state.Part of the mandate of the committee is to identify gaps that needed to be filled and early warning sign for threats.Mr Abduraham Ibrahim, Education Specialist, UNICEF, stressed the need for stakeholders to adhere to the principles of the safe school initiative, to enable children grow confidence in learning.He said the UN agency had trained teachers on safe school initiative, to expose them to the necessary steps in security, conduct of teachers and students in schools.Also, Mrs Hajara Hassan, Head Teacher, Zangoma Kyari Primary School in Kwami LGA, requested for the perimeter fencing, provision of toilets, classrooms and water facilities in the school.'That is the highest risk faced by the children. Cows came into the school premises and injured one pupil.'There are 374 pupils in the school at the moment with only four classrooms. We only got these classes renovated by Gov. Inuwa Yahaya.'This is rainy season, but during dry season or when school feeding programme is on, we find it difficult teaching them as we take some of them under tree shade. We got up to 200 additional pupils with only four teacher s including me,' she said.On his part, Nasiru Abubakar, Head Teacher, Doho Science Pilot Primary School, Kwami, identified gender based violence and corporal punishment as one of the issues inhibiting safe learning environment in the school.He said that such experience negatively affected the learning process.Source:News Agency of Nigeria