Inside dilapidated schools for Rivers State wia children dey learn with snakes and crabs

Di state of many primary and secondary schools across Rivers State don raise concerns as to di kain education children dey receive sake of di dilapidated structures across di state.

Weda na for Ahoada West, Etche, Omuma or Gokana, Abua/Odual to Eleme, Andoni, Ogu/Bolo, Degema and even schools for Port Harcourt di state capital, many schools structures dey in a very bad state with broken down ceilings and roofs, no windows or doors, no desk and chairs for di children and teachers and most times, dem dey exposed to di elements.

For many of di schools like di Migrant Fishermen Children's School wey BBC News Pidgin visit, children dey learn in poor unsanitary conditions.

Na for 1992 dem establish di Migrant Fishermen Children School for Dic Fiberesima Ama, wey be fishing port for Okrika local govment area of Rivers State.

Wit a population of about 150 pupils and 13 teachers, di Migrant Fishermen Children School dey provide formal nursery and primary education for di children of migrant fishermen wey dey come fish for Dic Fiberesima, den go back to dia respective villages.

Initially wen di school start, na under trees dem bin dey teach di children bifor di Federal Ministry of Education come build some classroom blocks for 2014.

But today, di story dey different becos e remain small wey those classroom blocks go collapse as e dey in a very bad state.

Wit a five minute canoe ride from Orange Bustop for Borokiri, Port Harcourt to Dic Fiberesima Ama, BBC News Pidgin visit di school and see say di ceilings for di classrooms don fall comot, no windows and doors and di floors too don collapse.

Di teachers no get desk and chairs so dem perch for bench along di veranda of one of di buildings and wen di river flow, di water dey cover di school and di effects of di salt-water dey affect di buildings as di walls don crack and some parts don break away.

Wen dem ring bell for di children to come school, na di crabs dey first respond as di school just dey in front of some mangroves, wia some school children dey go pick periwinkle and catch fish after school. Na dia dem dey go toilet too as dem no get any toilet facility for di school.

For some classrooms, di only way to access am na through one monkey-bridge dem build with sticks and wen rain fall, di classrooms go dey flooded sake of di leaking roofs and broken ceilings.

Samuel Samuel, Chairman of Dic Fiberesima Ama, wey im children dey go di school dey beg govment to come renovate di school becos dem dey fear say any moment now, di rickety structure wey remain fit collapse on dia children.

"Dis is no be place wey any normal human being suppose stay but wetin we go do? Na di only chance wey our children get to go school so we dey beg govment make dem come repair di school so rain no go dey beat dem wen dem dey inside class."

Three of Grace Minadiki children don pass through dis same school and she still get two children wey still dey go di school.

She say if not for di donated plastic desk and chairs wey some good spirited pipo donate, di children for dey sidon for ground.

She also dey beg govment to come renovate di school becos di bad state of di school dey make some parents not to send dia children go school.

"Any moment now dis school go collapse and dat na wetin we dey pray against. We dey feel for di teachers wey dey take canoe ferry come teach our children everyday but if rain fall, dat means no school becos di whole school go dey flooded and pesin no fit teach or learn under dat kain condition. So make govment come repair dis school for us." She tok.

'We dey battle snakes for dis school'

Di structures for St Gabriel's State Primary School Oproama, Asari Toru LGA don destroy finish.

St Gabriel's State School na one of di school buildings wey di Rivers State govment bin rebuild for 2013, but right now, di school dey in shambles.

Most of di school building roof don comot and di ceilings for di classrooms don fall off; di windows and doors too don spoil and most classrooms no dey habitable again as mould dey grow inside

No desk, chairs, tables or blackboards and snakes and oda reptiles dey inside di school.

Di school get a population of 68 pupils and 2 teachers with some volunteer teachers wey dey come help out.

Okinaye Otonye, one parent dey beg make govment come renovate di school as many parents no dey gree bring dia children to di school again, instead dem dey send dem go school for nearby communities for Buguma.

She also ask for more teachers as di school only get two teachers with oda volunteers wey dey come assist di teachers.

One Chief for Oproama community, Joshua Ikiriko, say na almost everyday dem dey kill snake for di school and wen e hapun like dat, school don close for di day.

"Also, wen rain fall, na so school go close becos no wia for pesin to stay. See how di school dey, no bodi go gree send im pikin come dis kain school so we dey beg govemt to come renovate dis school for us."

Dr. Anne Briggs-Famuyiwa of Readcycle wey be Education Climate Health Organization observe say na so most schools dey in a very bad state across Rivers State.

She say na wen dem go donate books, clothes, food and oda educational items for di schools na im dem discover di dilapidated state di schools dey in.

"Most times, no teachers dey di school so di children go just come dey play from morning till school-over. If you ask dem why dem no go house, dem go say dem no wan go house becos dem go send dem work so dem prefer to stay for school."

Dis she say dey make dem very vulnerable to bad influences and abuse becos most of dem dey come school wia no teacher dey to teach or supervise dem.

“So anybodi fit come give dem food today, give dem tomorrow. Next time wen e tell dem to meet am somwia outside di school, di pikin go go and from dia, e fit do dem anytin.

No proper teaching and learning fit take place in dis kain dilapidated structure wey presently dey ground so.” She tok.

'We go attend to schools for our 2026 budget' - Govnor Fubara tok

Rivers State govment say dem go attend to di needs of di schools for di 2026 budget.

Govnor Siminialayi Fubara as e address di issue of di bad state of schools across di state note say di situation no start overnight but na accumulation of years of neglect for di school system.

But e say dem go include am for di 2026 budget especially dat of secondary schools rehabilitation as primary schools na responsibility of local govment but dem go also consider dem for di good of di pipo.

Already, di state govment don revalidate di recruitment of over 1000 primary school teachers wey bin dey suspended and say dem go employ more teachers as di need arise.