AGBOR: Pupils of Okwue Primary School in Owa-Nta, Delta State, have been captured scooping floodwater from their classroom in a disturbing video that has sparked concerns over the condition of the school environment.
The video, which surfaced on social media, showed the pupils using containers to remove water that had accumulated inside their classroom while their teacher appealed for assistance.
The children, who were dressed in their school uniforms, took part in the effort to drain the flooded classroom, with the pupils appearing to be between nine and 11 years old.
The condition of the classroom shown in the video also raised concerns about the state of the school’s infrastructure.
The footage appeared to show a damaged or open section of the roof, while the classroom had limited seating facilities. Some of the windows also appeared to be without shutters or protective coverings.
The teacher, who spoke in the local language in the video, appealed to relevant authorities to urgently intervene and improve the condition of the school.
In an emotional plea, the teacher said the children represented the future of the country and urged authorities to come to their assistance.
Please, I am begging for the future of these future presidents. They should come to our aid, the teacher said.
The incident has drawn attention to the challenges facing some public primary schools in parts of Delta State, particularly where inadequate infrastructure and poor classroom conditions may affect pupils and teachers.
Okwue Primary School is located in Owa-Nta, within Delta North Senatorial District, an area predominantly inhabited by Anioma-speaking communities.
The footage has renewed calls for attention to basic educational infrastructure, including safe classrooms, functional roofing, adequate furniture and protection from the effects of heavy rainfall.
For the pupils seen in the video, however, the immediate challenge was more basic: removing water from their classroom so that learning could continue.
