By Eniola Daniel
The school, founded in 1980, was primed as one of the elite secondary school in the state, but has since became a shadow of its self due to neglect by the state government.
Today, the school is classified a physically challenged school, which the alumni said worked against the school’s progress.
According to the alumni, despite several letters and pleads, the school infrastructure had been left to rot away.
The old students also claimed that government no longer post quality teachers to the school.
Speaking on the decay, President, Cheshire High School Alumni Association, Ridwan Kareem, said the state of the school is against the avowed commitment of Governor Seyi Makinde, who in December 2022, said his administration would continue to improve the standard of education in the state.
Kareem said: “Access to the school showed that it is bad shape, the science laboratory is an eye sore and many classes are without windows. We had in the past paid security salaries, equipped library and others with zero results.
“We renovated three classrooms, built modern toilet, renovated and equipped the home economics laboratory.”
On the efforts taken by the old students to call the attention of the Oyo State government to the pathetic condition of the institution, he said: “We met with Teaching Service Commission, (TESCOM) and formally expressed our concerns.
“There is a need to review the philosophy behind physically challenged students sharing the same class with normal students, as it has failed. The government has underfunded the school and has classified the school as a physically challenged school, which has worked against the progress of the school. Generally, abled students below average are admitted coupled with special need students, making it impossible and herculean task for teachers’ efforts to yield good results.”
When The Guardian visited the school, last week, government’s presence was visibly lacking as the school had leaky roofs, while almost half a plot of land was left bushy.
The technical centre at the right side was in despicable state.
The Guardian also noticed that the classrooms are without windows, with students seating on base frames of the windows.
Also, the school, which currently has 405 students and about 40 staff strength, had the classrooms without modern facilities.
Principal of the school, Ms. Kehinde Oregbesan, said they are forced to put all the students in SS1 A and B together because there are no windows in other available classrooms.
When asked about the government response to the school condition, she said: “The government is trying but they can’t do everything. We’ve had written letters to the government, took pictures of the damaged buildings and they promised us that they will come to our aid, but we are yet to get response.
“Officials of the government come to our school from time to time for inspection, but they are yet to come after the rain destroyed the buildings.”
On why the school has both students with special needs and able bodied, she said: “The school was actually for students with special needs, the government only introduced those without special students.”
When The Guardian reached out to the Oyo State Commissioner of Education, Abdul Raham Abdulraheem, he said it was not the true picture of the situation.
He said: “As far as I’m concerned, I believe that the situation you have painted may not be true. We are running open door policy. We engage everybody so that we are able to bring out the best.”
Source: The Guardian