Appraisal Of Building Conditions In Public Secondary Schools In Onitsha, Nigeria

Abstract

Part of the functional requirements of buildings is to provide safe and enabling environment for the performance of various human activities. Most buildings, however, begin to exhibit signs of deterioration with the advancement of time, even when all the original elements are replaced. A poorly maintained school building in a dilapidated environment hampers the quality of life and contributes largely to unfriendly behaviour amongst users and threatens its socio-political environment. There is an increased awareness that the conditions of buildings in public secondary schools in Nigeria are in deplorable conditions of infrastructural disrepair due to poor maintenance practices. This study therefore focuses on building conditions in public secondary schools in Onitsha, Nigeria with a view to determining the underlying factors responsible for the present conditions of buildings in the schools. A survey of seven (7) schools out of twenty three (23) public secondary schools was conducted. Data were obtained using structured questionnaire and observation schedule. These were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. The results indicated that majority of the building elements in the schools were in deplorable conditions requiring either minor or major repairs. The results also showed that building dilapidations in the schools were due to lack of documented maintenance manuals to guide maintenance operations, engaging the services of unskilled professionals in maintenance, age of buildings, neglect, poor maintenance culture and poor maintenance funding. Based on the findings, the paper recommended that adequate measures be put in place to address the existing deficiencies in the building conditions in order to attain secure, comfortable and user-friendly environments that effectively support the delivery and realization of educational goals and objectives in those schools.