Infrastructural Crisis Plague Emene Community High School in Enugu State
Emene Community High School stands as a testament to the challenges facing public education. The school grapples with a myriad of issues, including a severe lack of infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and dilapidated facilities.
Mary Nwaeze 
In the heart of Enugu State, Emene Community High School stands as a testament to the challenges facing public education. The school, located in Enugu East Local Government Area, grapples with a myriad of issues, including a severe lack of infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and dilapidated facilities.
Chidiebere Mbah, a 13-year-old student at the school, shares his struggle for education amidst the deplorable conditions. He narrates how students are packed like sardines, with no space for both teaching and learning. Climbing lockers and walking on others' lockers have become routine for students like Chidiebere, highlighting the desperation to find space in overcrowded classrooms.
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The school, reportedly one of the most populated in Enugu State, accommodates around 2,002 students with limited classrooms and approximately 80 staff members. Despite the acute shortage of space, the state government recently posted over 700 new students to the school for admission into Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1).
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A visit to the school by our correspondent revealed classrooms designed for 45 to 50 students hosting as many as 90 to 100 students, creating an inhospitable learning environment. The situation is exacerbated by broken windows, insufficient lockers, and the absence of a staff room.
Teachers, speaking anonymously, disclosed their struggles, emphasizing the urgent need for more classrooms, tables, chairs, and overall infrastructure improvement. The lack of power supply further hinders the teaching of Computer Science, as the school's only generator has been stolen.
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Efforts by the school administration to seek assistance from relevant authorities, including government ministries and the local community, have reportedly yielded no tangible results. The situation is dire, and the plea for intervention is echoed by both students and educators.
As Emene Community High School grapples with these challenges, the fate of students like Chidiebere hangs in the balance. The Enugu State government faces mounting pressure to address the urgent needs of the school, ensuring that the promise of quality education is not overshadowed by crumbling infrastructure and overcrowded classrooms.
