Warri – There was low turn-out of school pupils in Warri and environs as children returned to classes for the 2016/2017 academic session.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Correspondent, who monitored the school resumption on Wednesday, reported that most of the government primary and secondary schools were virtually without pupils.
Though, the teachers and other members of the school management were present despite the backlog of salaries and allowances owed them.
There had been agitation over the unpaid salaries between Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Delta chapter, and the state government; but recently, the state government agreed to pay some of the arrears.
NAN reports that the turn-out in Igbudu Primary Schools, in Warri South was poor but the Headmistress, Mrs Ann Ujobono blamed the development on inconsistency that the trailed the date of resumption
”There was rumour that schools will resumed on Sept. 19, I believe the pupils catch in on that, reason they are not around.
”We expect to have more of them around tomorrow,” she said.
Ujobono, however, appealed to parents to release their children and wards for the academic session, noting that teaching would start immediately.
There was also a low turn-out at the Eyagugbe Primary school in Ugborikoko, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta.
According to the Headmistress, Mrs Mary Ogbeni, there would be improvement on the resumption by Thursday.
Ogbeni said that 25 out of the 49 teachers in the school were in attendance.
”Most of the pupils don’t always like to resume on the first day because of the fear that the classrooms might have been messed up by miscreants during the holiday.
”They don’t want to take part in the cleaning exercise,” she said.
It was the same story at the Urhobo College as the compound was flooded by the downpour that had occurred in the last three days in Warri and environs.
However, resumption in the private schools was impressive even as some commenced academic work immediately.
The Holy Family Schools, located in Ugboroke, Uvwie Local Government Area commenced teaching.
The school principal, Mrs Celestina Bakpa said it was their tradition to always keep with the date of resumption.
She urged parents and guardians to release their children and wards to continue with their colleagues.