By ADEKUNLE WILLIAMS

The Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Education has expressed dismay over the dilapidated state of Government Senior College, Epe, in the state.

Chairman of the committee, Mr Oluyinka Ogundimu, representing Agege II, expressed his disappointment on Wednesday during its oversight tour ahead of resumption in the state.

Ogundimu said the tour of some schools in the state was to ensure compliance with COVID-19 protocols as schools were resuming soon.

The lawmaker decried the state of the school building, adding that the structure needed urgent rehabilitation.

Ogundimu said that having embarked on the tour round the school, they were not pleased with what they saw about the state of the buildings.

“The state Ministry of Education should come and repair the building that is housing the office of the principal and other classes.

“Some of the buildings in the college, which should be a model, needs urgent repair and we are not happy that a massive building in the school is in bad shape,” he said.

Ogundimu, while addressing the SS3 students, said the committee was in the school to see how the school’s community was faring, and how they were protecting themselves against COVID-19.

“COVID-19 is real, deadly and kills. Try and protect yourself. Using your mask is a way of reducing the spread of the virus.

“Anything can happen if you don’t use your face masks as the virus is not seen, the curve is being flattened, but it can move again.

“The school authority has made some facilities available in forms of wash hand basins and sanitisers.

“They are not for decorations, make use of them and don’t touch your mouth, nose or eyes with your hands without washing the hands,” he said.

Earlier, the Principal of the school, Mr Titilayo Olawoyin, told the committee that the school’s population was 692 with 13 classrooms.

Olawoyin said the number of students per class was 45 with 21 teachers in the school, adding that they had 13 wash hand basins, buckets and sanitisers for the prevention of COVID-19.

At the junior arm of the school, the Principal, Mr Pius Ikuseyidunmi, told the committee on how he had transformed the school to the present state.

Ikuseyidunmi said the least performance the school had recorded in any external examination was 95 per cent while they had recorded 100 per cent in recent past.

He said the school had 48 toilets, adding that they needed more teachers in key subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Physica Education and Home Economics.

On the prevention of COVID-19 in the school, the principal said they had thermometers, sanitisers, 15 hand washing basins, and posters for the students.

Responding, Ogundimu commended the principal for his brilliant performance and promised to get across to the ministry on the need to provide more teachers for the school.

The committee also paid a courtesy call on the Alaketu of Ketu, Oba Adegboyega Adefowora (Oso 2), in his palace.

Also at Epe Girls Junior High School, the Principal, Mrs Beatrice Jonah, informed the committee that the school needed more classrooms to ensure social distancing.

Jonah said the school lacked teachers in subjects such as Agric, Physical Education, Home Economics, Basic Science, and Basic Technology.

On COVID-19, the principal said that they had boreholes, soap, basin, thermometer and inadequate toilets.

At the senior arm, the principal, Mrs Olanike Babatunde, said that they had a population of 1024, four functional classrooms and six makeshift classrooms on the ground floor of an uncompleted building in the school.

Babatunde said they had 25 teachers, but it was still in need of more teachers in Mathematics, English Language, English Literature, Geography, Yoruba, Religion Studies and others.

Reacting, Ogundimu said the schools were ready to resume, but that they needed more teachers and that the students would be attending the schools alternatively for social distancing.

At the junior school, the lawmaker said that the recommended number of students in the class should not be more than 25.

He said that the state Ministry of Education should expedite action on the completion of the buildings in the senior arm of the school which was said to have been abandoned since 2014.

“We want the commissioner to visit the school and the contractor should tell us what has happened so that he can go back to site.

“We also have a building in the school that has collapsed and the perimeter fence of the school needs rehabilitation,” he said. (NAN)

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