The Principal of Ijokodo High School, Mrs Anuoluwapo Ladipo-Davies, has appealed to the government and well-meaning individuals to support efforts aimed at improving infrastructure and security at the school.
The principal, speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Thursday, says the inclusive school, catering to both hearing and hearing-impaired students, needs special attention
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Ladipo-Davies said that though the school shared premises with a privately-run hostel for hearing-impaired students, the school itself faced several infrastructure and security challenges.
According to her, the challenges are hindering effective learning and discouraging donor support.
“The major access road to the school is damaged due to gully erosion, which makes entry difficult and discourages visitors.
“We need support to grade the road and provide a proper drainage system that channels rainwater into the nearby canal,” she said.
She also raised concerns over the collapsed perimeter fence backing a river, which, according to her, has made the school vulnerable to intruders.
“The broken fence has made the school porous. People come in and out at will, and this poses a security threat to our students and staff,” the principal said.
Ladipo-Davies lamented that due to the security lapses, one of the school buildings was vandalised, with burglars removing window frames.
“We’ve had to install temporary wooden windows, but even those are being broken into regularly,” she said.
According to her, the situation is demoralising for students and teachers as sometimes, students resume and find faeces in their classrooms.
She also noted that the toilet facility was sinking due to the sloping nature of the land.
“Starting the day cleaning is not only disheartening but unhealthy.
“We need the toilets raised and accessible ramps installed, especially as we have physically challenged students and teachers.
“The school, which currently accommodates almost 300 students, also lacks a proper examination hall.
“We use the largest classroom, but when numbers are large, we must reduce the number of students per session because of limited space,” Ladipo-Davies said.
The principal further appealed for a reliable water supply to improve hygiene on the premises.
On staffing, she confirmed that the school benefited from the recent recruitment of teachers by the state government.
“We were given 17 new teachers, but two have left, leaving us with 15. However, we have 42 teaching and non-teaching staff members,” she said.
She added that the school has 12 special education teachers serving students with various needs.
“Ijokodo High School currently has three building blocks, two of which have been damaged and require urgent repair.
“We remain committed to providing quality education for all students, but we need urgent intervention to create a safe and conducive learning environment,” Ladipo-Davies said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)