Education: Infrastructural Decay, a Barrier to Quality Education
By Olusegun HOSEA
12th July, 2026.
NB: Pictures taken , April, 2026
The development of any society is tied to the quality of education provided by such a community for the growth of its economic and human capital, both within the environment and beyond. One of the ways to achieve this high standard is for the government to provide communities with sound infrastructural development where teaching and learning can take place effectively. However, this is not the case at Community Grammar School, Orioke-Iwamimo, in Ilaje Local Government Area, as most of the three buildings—if not all the infrastructure where teaching and learning take place—have become shadows of their former selves. The classrooms where learners once received education are almost crumbling after decades of neglect and lack of support from the appropriate government quarters.
The only building that is still manageable for learners’ academic activities is the long block constructed around 1992 by the Parents-Teachers Association of the school. Even that building is now affected by strong winds, with its roof nearly blown off. The condition of the school’s structures is an eyesore. Parents have continued to complain bitterly about the poor environment in which their children are learning, as most of the buildings are on the verge of collapse.One of the three buildings is currently undergoing roof rehabilitation, while the former administrative block has completely deteriorated. As a result, the school authorities have relocated official documents and administrative activities to another makeshift structure covered with aluminium sheets for safety. Community Grammar School, Orioke-Iwamimo, once a great institution that produced men and women of substance now occupying key administrative positions, is gradually losing its glory to environmental degradation and neglect. Urgent attention is required from the Ondo State Government to address this situation before it worsens.
Similarly, the latest development in the school reveals that there is no longer a proper space for students to assemble, as was the case about thirty years ago. The former assembly ground has disappeared, while the Chemistry and Biology laboratories where students once conducted experiments now require complete reconstruction. If the government is committed to restoring the school’s academic excellence as it was in the past, these facilities must be rebuilt.
In conclusion, the people of the community are calling on the government to urgently intervene and address the challenges facing Community Grammar School, Orioke-Iwamimo. There is a need to construct durable new buildings, possibly with modern materials such as aluminium roofing, to ensure longevity for future generations. This will provide learners with a conducive and befitting educational environment, rather than the current state of infrastructural decay, which remains a major barrier to quality education in the community and beyond.
