More than three months after an investigative report exposed the dire learning conditions in public schools across Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, little has changed, as students return from holiday to the same deteriorating infrastructure and inadequate learning environment.
The initial report, published on December 24, 2025, highlighted how pupils at Bukar Ali Ibn El-Kanemi Primary and Secondary School were forced to sit on bare floors due to the absence of basic classroom furniture, despite billions allocated to the education sector and funds raised through intervention programmes.
A recent visit to the school confirms that the situation remains largely unchanged.
Classrooms are still without chairs and desks, while structural deficiencies—including damaged ceilings, broken windows, and poor flooring—continue to undermine effective teaching and learning.
Parents, frustrated by the lack of visible action, say the continued neglect reflects a broader systemic failure.
“We expected improvement after that report, but nothing has changed. Our children deserve better,” one parent said.
Further checks across other public schools in Damaturu reveal that the challenges extend beyond infrastructure to include severe staffing shortages and welfare concerns.
At Government Girls Secondary School, which shows relatively better infrastructure with improved classroom facilities and newly constructed hostels, the crisis takes a different dimension.
According to sources within the school who requested anonymity, the institution currently has about 2,255 students but only 87 teachers, including the principal and two vice principals. The imbalance, they say, significantly affects the quality of teaching and learning.
“There is a serious shortage of teachers, and the welfare of those available is also a challenge,” a source disclosed.
Another staff member stressed the need for professionalism in recruitment, noting that teaching requires passion and commitment. “Teaching is a profession. It is not something just anyone should do. People must have the passion for it before being employed,” the source said.
Concerns were also raised about the retention of teachers in the system.
Despite periodic recruitment exercises by the state government, many newly employed teachers reportedly leave the classroom for positions in other ministries.
“Every year you hear that teachers are being employed, but many of them eventually move to other ministries. Some have connections, and nothing happens when they leave,” another source alleged.
The source further suggested that reforms within the civil service structure may be necessary to address the issue.
There are also calls for the establishment of a state-owned teachers’ training college to professionalise the sector and ensure that only qualified and committed individuals enter the classroom.
“Government should invest in training institutions that prepare people specifically for teaching. That way, we won’t have individuals treating it as a temporary job,” the source added.
Some respondents expressed deep dissatisfaction with the current state of teaching quality, rating it low while acknowledging the presence of a few dedicated educators.
Parents across the state say the situation reflects a worrying decline in commitment to education.
“This is a clear lack of interest in education. We cannot continue like this,” another parent lamented.
Despite four weeks of repeated efforts, officials of the Yobe State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education did not respond to requests for comment as of the time of filing this report.
With the new academic term underway, stakeholders warn that unless urgent and transparent action is taken, the continued neglect of public education could have long-term consequences for the state’s human capital development.
