TARABA SCHOOL CRISIS: OVER 200 PUPILS LEARN UNDER TREES AND IN COLLAPSING CLASSROOMS AS RESIDENTS ACCUSE AUTHORITIES OF NEGLECTING PITIKO BARGUMA PRIMARY SCHOOL FOR OVER A DECADE

Parents and teachers of Pitiko Barguma Primary School in Kwanchi Ward, Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, have raised the alarm over the deplorable condition of the school, where more than 200 pupils are reportedly forced to learn under trees and inside dangerously dilapidated classrooms following years of infrastructural neglect.

The community said the school’s deteriorating condition had persisted since 2014, with damaged roofs, deeply cracked walls, partially collapsed classroom blocks and a severe shortage of basic learning facilities exposing pupils to potentially life-threatening conditions.

Residents are now appealing to the Taraba State Government and the Karim Lamido Local Government Council to urgently intervene, warning that further delays could result in a building collapse, injuries or loss of lives.

Photographs obtained by ChroniclesReporters on Monday show the extent of the deterioration, with sections of classroom roofs missing, rusted corrugated iron sheets hanging precariously over damaged structures and walls bearing deep cracks and crumbling plaster.

One photograph shows a long classroom block with a heavily rusted iron-sheet roof, large sections of which have reportedly been blown away by windstorms, leaving wooden rafters exposed to the elements.

The walls are severely cracked, with portions of the plaster missing, while several windows have no glass or louvers. Another photograph shows a large, rusted roofing sheet hanging dangerously over a damaged section of the building, with parts of the walls appearing close to collapse.

Inside the classrooms, pupils are seen sitting directly on bare floors because desks and chairs are unavailable. Many of the children, dressed in green school uniforms, are gathered closely together to receive lessons, while some female pupils wear hijabs.

The classrooms have stained, unplastered walls, with a blackboard appearing to be among the few available teaching facilities. Other photographs show pupils standing outside the damaged buildings, with broken concrete slabs and rusted roofing sheets scattered around the school premises.

The condition of the school has heightened concerns among parents and residents, who fear that the weakened structures could collapse on the children while lessons are ongoing, particularly during heavy rainfall and windstorms.

Comrade Muhammed Sahabi, a resident of Pitiko, said the situation had persisted for more than a decade despite repeated appeals for government intervention.

According to him, the school accommodates more than 200 pupils who attend classes between 7am and 12 noon, with some forced to receive lessons under trees and inside damaged classrooms.

“Over 200 pupils are attending the school. They go to school from 7am to 12 noon and they’re dismissed. They learn under the trees and the broken classrooms with some windstorm had destroyed its roofs,” Sahabi said.

He added that the school had been in its present condition since 2014, calling on the Taraba State Government and local government authorities to provide the children with a safe and decent learning environment.

“This school has been like this since we were still there in 2014. We are begging the government of Taraba State and local government area authorities to intervene and provide a decent learning environment for our children. They should not wait until tragedy strikes before rushing to do the needful,” he said.

Sahabi, speaking on behalf of concerned parents and pupils, also published an appeal on Facebook on Saturday, urging Governor Agbu Kefas, the Chairperson of Karim Lamido Local Government Area, Hon. Virginia Baba Bambur, and Hon. Anas Shuaibu Didango to urgently address the situation.

The appeal, titled “Heartbroken Appeal For The Children Of Pitiko Barguma, Kwanchi Ward, Karim Lamido LGA Taraba State – No Single Good Classroom And Their Lives Are At Risk,” described the school’s condition as a threat to the safety, education and future of the children.

In the letter, Sahabi expressed concern that pupils were being compelled to study in buildings that could collapse at any moment, despite the fundamental importance of providing safe educational facilities for children.

“I write this letter with tears in my eyes and a very heavy heart. This is the true and current condition of Pitiko Barguma Primary School pupils in Pitiko Village, Karim Lamido LGA. Pitiko is the village of our former Executive Chairman of Karim Lamido LGA, Hon. Kabiru Aliyu Pitiko,” he wrote.

He stressed that the damaged structures were not abandoned buildings but classrooms still being used by pupils, despite their dangerous condition.

“Sirs, what you are seeing in the attached picture is not an abandoned building – it is their SCHOOL. It is what is supposed to be their classroom. The roof is completely blown off, the iron sheets are hanging dangerously, the walls are deeply cracked and partially collapsed. The building can fall on these innocent children at any moment,” the appeal stated.

The resident lamented that the pupils had no proper classrooms in which to learn, forcing them to endure the sun and rain while remaining exposed to the risk of collapsing structures.

“These children in green uniforms you see have no single good classroom to sit and learn. They are forced to learn under this death trap, under the sun and in the rain, with their lives at risk every single day,” he wrote.

Questioning the quality of education the children could be expected to receive under such circumstances, Sahabi asked how pupils could achieve good academic results without adequate classrooms and essential learning facilities.

“How can we expect quality education and good results from children learning in this condition? How can we talk about the future of Taraba State when the children of Pitiko are forgotten and left to die in silence?” he asked.

He further described the pupils as future leaders and professionals who deserved the same standard of educational facilities available to children in other communities.

“These are not just pupils; they are the future leaders, doctors, teachers, and chairmen of Karim Lamido and Taraba State. They deserve a safe, decent, and dignified classroom like every other child in Nigeria,” the appeal stated.

Sahabi outlined three urgent demands to the authorities: an immediate visit to Pitiko Village to assess the condition of the school, the declaration of a state of emergency on the facility, and the urgent renovation or reconstruction of the damaged classroom blocks.

“On behalf of the concerned people and parents of Pitiko, I am passionately appealing to you: 1. To urgently visit Pitiko Village and see this school yourselves. 2. To declare a state of emergency on this school and urgently renovate/reconstruct this collapsed classroom block. 3. To save these children from learning in a death trap before tragedy happens,” he wrote.

He urged the governor, the local government chairperson and the other public official addressed in the letter not to ignore the community’s concerns, insisting that the children deserved a safe environment in which to pursue their education.

“Please, Your Excellency, Honourable Chairperson, and Honourable Member, do not let this cry go unheard. The children of Pitiko are your children too. They are calling on you. Our children deserve a good environment!” he added.

The appeal was signed by “A Concerned Citizen of Pitiko Village, Karim Lamido LGA, Taraba State, Comr Muhammed Sahabi Pitiko for Parents and Pupils of Pitiko.”

The residents said the absence of adequate classrooms and basic facilities had made learning increasingly difficult, with pupils reportedly forced to gather under trees or occupy damaged buildings exposed to harsh weather conditions.

They warned that the combination of weakened walls, missing roofing sheets and partially collapsed structures posed a serious danger, particularly during the rainy season, when heavy rainfall and strong winds could further weaken the buildings.

Beyond the immediate threat to the pupils’ safety, the situation has also raised concerns about the quality of education available to children in the community, as the lack of desks, chairs and suitable classrooms creates an unfavourable environment for teaching and learning.

The residents are therefore calling on Governor Kefas and the Karim Lamido Local Government Council to urgently inspect the school, reconstruct the damaged classroom blocks and provide desks, chairs and other essential learning materials.

The school is located in Pitiko, the home village of former Karim Lamido Local Government Chairman, Hon. Kabiru Aliyu Pitiko.

Despite the community’s appeals, residents say the school’s condition remains unresolved, leaving parents and teachers increasingly anxious about the safety of the children entrusted to the institution.

They warned that the continued use of the deteriorating classrooms could expose pupils to preventable danger, urging the authorities to act before the situation results in a tragedy.

For the parents and residents of Pitiko, the demand is not merely for renovated buildings but for the protection of children whose education and safety should not be compromised by the prolonged deterioration of their school.