84-year-old school in Bauchi overrun by market, jeopardising pupils’ education

Pupils at the 84-year-old Central Primary School in Alkaleri, Bauchi State, are being denied a convenient learning environment due to the encroachment of the popular Alkaleri Sunday grain market.

The school lacks a perimeter fence and has been effectively taken over by traders from over 50 communities in Alkaleri and Kirfi Local Councils. Commercial activities within the school grounds pose significant health risks and psychological impacts on pupils and teachers.

They are constantly distracted by the bustle of transactions and vehicular movement. The situation is particularly dire on Mondays, when pupils are forced to spend hours cleaning up the mess left behind by traders, including faeces and urine.

The market occupies the entire football field, classrooms, and premises, rendering the school administration helpless. When it rains on market days, traders and farmers seek shelter in classrooms, damaging windows and furniture. Open defecation is rampant due to insufficient and damaged toilet facilities, and even the children’s play equipment is misused.

The principal’s office is also frequently overcrowded, potentially compromising the security of examination records and sensitive materials. Traders sometimes spend the night before market day sleeping on the school grounds. Resident Usman Ismail expressed concern about the situation and called for the market relocation. He highlighted the danger posed by the market’s proximity to the Bauchi-Gombe road, where numerous accidents have occurred.

He stressed the unsuitability of the school environment for such intense commercial activity. Mohammad Abdullahi, Public Relations Officer of the Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board, acknowledged the problem and stated that the Board plans to erect a fence around the school to prevent further encroachment.