Amauzari Central School in Isiala Mbano LGA. In 1976/77,this primary school played a central role in Amauzari community by hosting the students of a newly built college, then Amauzari comprehensive secondary school ,immediately after the creation of Imo state. The students of Comprehensive Secondary school were camped in this primary school with full compliments of facilities. The Central primary school Amauzari school hall was converted into a boarding hostel where all year one students lived for one year. There were enough class rooms that accommodated classes -A to D.
On May 22,2025, I,Tony Madu attended a function at a nearby village, Umunkwo, and decided to see the present situation of where I got my first baptism of secondary school in 1977, may look like. The voyage took me stunning. The Amauzari Central School is now a ghost of its old self. The numerous school buildings have collapsed.
The number of the pupils have reduced drastically,almost to nothing, comparatively.
One begins to wonder, what the state of education in Imo state has become. No infrastructure, no teachers, no toilet facilities. The only building there that has a resemblance of structure has an inscription on the wall .. Stephen Amadi Ahubelem…which may indicate that it may have been donated to the school by the name on the wall. But where is Imo state ministry of education?. They say education is the bedrock of development. Is government of the state aware of the state of the school?
Public schools, not only in Amauzari are dilapidated and overgrown with bushes not weeds. Facilities have been vandalised, community encroachment on the school land is now a common scene.These are some of the reasons private school operators feast on parents because there are no alternatives. Public schools that used to be the dream of every family are now dead.
For long now in Imo state, primary and secondary schools have not had Junior WAEC in a long time, when they do ,it becomes off circle. Universal Basic Education is free and compulsory in Nigeria, but Imo state has not given it to its people. You may not go far to confirm the fact about death of primary and secondary schools in the state,look around , where you stay or refer to the schools in your community including the ones in the community of the Commissioner for education,his Permanent Secretary, Director of education board etc: how worthy are they for learning?
Yet, allocations and budgets are made, given to the ministry of education. When will the desired attention be paid to the education sector in Imo state? I wondered Aloud !
