AWLAW HIGH SCHOOL IN DISTRESS: A CALL TO RESTORE DIGNITY TO PUBLIC EDUCATION IN OJI RIVER

No child deserves to learn in an environment that threatens their safety, dignity, and future.

Awlaw High School in Oji River, Enugu State, is reportedly a painful reflection of the declining condition of public education infrastructure in the community.

According to residents, the school was once regarded as a model institution—one that competed favourably with other schools and was known for producing impressive academic results. However, since 2015, the institution has reportedly experienced a steady decline in infrastructure and general learning conditions.

Today, the situation is deeply concerning. Parts of the school’s buildings have deteriorated significantly, with damaged and leaking roofs, weakening walls, and learning spaces that appear increasingly unsafe and unsuitable for students and teachers.

A school should be a place where children feel protected, inspired, and equipped to pursue their dreams—not a place where they are forced to learn amid deteriorating and potentially hazardous structures.

Education cannot thrive where the learning environment itself is collapsing.

The children of Awlaw and Oji River deserve classrooms that are safe, functional, and conducive to learning. They deserve the same quality of educational environment available to children elsewhere.

This is more than a question of buildings. It is a question of priorities, dignity, opportunity, and the future of our children.

The condition of Awlaw High School should therefore serve as a call for urgent attention, responsible leadership, and meaningful intervention. Restoring the school would not merely rehabilitate buildings; it would help restore hope and create a better foundation for the next generation.

Our children deserve better. Our schools deserve urgent attention. And the future of Enugu deserves nothing less.