Pupils Sit On Bare Floor: Inside The Forgotten School In Abuja

Pupils of LEA Primary School in Gawu, Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), are forced to take lessons on the bare floor and sometimes under trees amid a lack of adequate classrooms, chairs, or learning materials, despite billions allocated to education between 2023 and 2025.

A civic technology platform, Monitng, which visited the school, revealed the grim reality of the learning conditions and described the situation as “deeply unsettling.”

“During school hours, children sit under the shade of trees to learn. Not because they want to, but because there are no classrooms. That shade is their only protection from the sun. When it rains, school ends for the day,” Monitng said.

The platform noted that the only structure in the school was constructed by community members using their limited resources. The building remains incomplete, lacking doors, windows, and proper furniture. Just three broken chairs are available, leaving many pupils to sit on the floor or the bare ground.

“We’ve pleaded with both the past and current administrations. We’ve written letters, made phone calls, and even hosted government officials, but nothing has changed,” the civic group quoted a resident as saying.

“Please, come here when school is in session and see the conditions for yourself.”

It stated that the five teachers and the headmistress are doing their best—but with no facilities, no furniture, and no support, their efforts can only go so far.

Monitng questioned why the vast sums allocated to the FCT education sector have not benefited communities like Gawu.

“It’s difficult to understand how, despite the FCT’s education budget growing each year, along with support from international donors, this community remains forgotten,” it said.