By Onomiguren Agbamu
In her usual way, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu again has dodged to clarify pressing issues where students are seen learning and writing examinations on bare floor in Burutu local government area of Delta state.
This has been her normal way even when the issue is of public interest.
Recall that the state government said they have invested heavily on education across the 25 local government areas in the state.
According to a report by Southern Voice online, with video evidence of students sitting on the bare floor taking their second term examination at Enekorogha Grammar School, Burutu LGA.
To hear from the government position, Ndokwa Vanguard reporter along with other journalists put a call across, and visited the Basic and Secondary Education Commissioner, Mrs. Rose Ezewu for comments for balancing of the story.
At the commissioner’s office;
Secretary; ” Hello, good morning, can I help you?”
We; ” we are journalists from different media, we want to see the Honourable Commissioner”.
Secretary; ” what for?”
We: ” there is pressing issue of one secondary school, where students seen sitting and learning on bare floor in Enekorogha Grammar School, Burutu LGA.”
Secretary: ” you cannot see the commissioner now,”
We: “why?
About 30 minutes later, a lady walked in and was given a form to fill to see the commissioner.
About 2-3pm one of her aides, walked to us to find out why we were waiting, after showing him the video evidence and pictures, he said, ” Commissioner just left, through the other door”
The report reads in part; ” Students sitting on bare floor during the second term examination at Enekorogha Grammar School, Burutu LGA”
“Despite the huge monthly allocations coming to the Delta State government, one will be astonished when you witness the state of Enekorogha Grammar School with dilapidated structures, no desks for students to learn and disturbing environment infested with reptiles without fence making the environment so porous”.
“According to the Education Committee Chairman of the Community, Mr. Peter Ganagana, the state government has never built a single structure in the school as the only six block of classrooms building was built by an individual and other buildings single-handedly built by the community”.
“Some volunteer teachers and students in the classroom”
” It is pitiable that our children sit on bare floor to learn daily, and even as they write this second term exam, beginning from JSS 1 to SS3, there are no desks for them to write.
“The school has just six teachers and the principal made it seven government teachers, and as you know, this is not enough to take all the subjects, so the community have to engage volunteers teachers that are given little stipends monthly.”
About the Author
