A typical day at Government Secondary School Sabon Tasha where there are no desks
.Renovation contract awarded since 2017 – State government
It has become routine for students to walk into class rooms with wrappers, mats and polythene bags at the Government Secondary School Sabon-Tasha, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. In a class of at least 70 students, there is often a scramble to find the least uncomfortable sitting position in an uncomfortable class, characterised with broken floors and often full of dust. There are no signs of desks in all the school’s class rooms except for a single JS1 class with about 40 double-seater desks, recently constructed and donated to the school by a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO).
“I wouldn’t say those who lean on walls or lean by the window panels are any better off. I have tried all the positions; I have sat on the floor using the wall as support, I have sat in the middle where there is no support, I have leaned by the window frame and I have stood. There is no lesser evil,” said Veronica, an SS1 student in the school.
“There are times we seat for between 20 and 30 minutes then get up to stretch our legs for a few minutes even when the teacher is in class. Other students even go for a stroll just to stretch their legs. We know it is not right to walk around during classes but the teachers understand and they sympathise with us,” said Joseph, another SS1 student.
At the over 40-year-old school which is the biggest and oldest in Chikun LGA, Daily Trust correspondents were not allowed to take pictures during school hours and had to return to the school after it closed for the day. However, a few teachers who agreed to speak with our correspondents in confidence said only a single JS1 class had desks, which was donated by the NGO in January as part of efforts to assist the school with learning facilities.
