Old students of Imade College, Owo, Ondo State, under the auspices of the Imade College Old Students Association, have appealed to the state government to address the shortage of teachers in the school.
The association said it had been hiring and paying ad hoc teachers to bridge the staffing gap and prevent students from suffering the consequences of inadequate teaching personnel.
The Chairman of the Planning Committee for the school’s 80th anniversary, Yinka Akinola, disclosed this on Saturday at the grand finale of the anniversary celebration held at the school.
Akinola said the old students had spent about N11m this year to engage ad hoc teachers, noting that the money could have been used for infrastructural development if there had been enough teachers in the school.
He said, “The major problem we are facing in this school is staffing. This year alone, the old students have spent about N11m employing ad hoc teachers. I am a member of the endowment committee. We pay them reasonably well, even above the minimum wage, to ensure that they can support themselves and remain committed to their work.
“The N11m we have spent on these teachers could have been channelled towards upgrading facilities in the college. Instead, we have to use the money to address the shortage of teachers.”
Akinola also disclosed that IMACOSA had spent over N200m on projects to improve facilities at the school as part of activities marking its 80th anniversary.
He said about 10 projects had been inaugurated, including classrooms, laboratories, accommodation facilities, three-bedroom flats and public toilets.
Commending the National President of the Imade College Owo Old Students Association Worldwide, Ambassador Godson Echegile, Akinola said he was one of the major contributors to the projects, having spent over N100m on the school this year alone.
He noted that some of the projects were executed by individuals and different sets of alumni as part of efforts to give back to the institution.
Akinola said the interventions were aimed at improving the learning environment and making students more comfortable, but stressed that inadequate teaching staff remained a major challenge.
Akinola, who left the college in 1971 when it had about 300 students, said the school’s population had grown considerably, putting existing facilities under pressure and making the alumni interventions necessary.
He, however, acknowledged improvements in some facilities, including computer laboratories, which were not available during his time at the school.
Also speaking, the Vice-President of IMACOSA Worldwide, Surveyor Felix Ajibade, said the association had employed 29 ad hoc teachers, each paid N70,000 monthly, to prevent students from suffering the consequences of the teacher shortage.
Ajibade appealed to the government to provide more teachers, drivers and security personnel, noting that the college had three vehicles but no drivers.
He added that the institution needed security personnel to protect its premises during the day and at night.
He said, “We have a shortage of teachers. That is why IMACOSA decided to employ 29 ad hoc teachers, whom we pay N70,000 each every month. Otherwise, the students would suffer. The government has not provided enough teachers.
“We also do not have drivers, despite having three vehicles. It is not appropriate for teachers to be driving the school buses. A lawyer will tell you that it is illegal. We need to have drivers in place.
“Furthermore, this college is large, and we need security personnel to protect it, not only during the day but also at night. We have appealed to the government to assist us in these areas. We need more teachers, drivers and security personnel.”
Ajibade also urged financially capable alumni to contribute to the development of the school, saying that even individual donations of textbooks could improve the resources available to students.
He said the association welcomed younger alumni but acknowledged that many were still studying or had yet to secure employment.
Responding to the concerns over teacher shortages, while speaking with journalists at the programme, the Ondo State Chairman of the Teaching Service Commission, Dr Oluwadayisi Oke, admitted to a teacher shortage in the school but said the government was making efforts to address the gap through more recruitment.
Oke said Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had prioritised education and was supporting teachers through improved welfare, timely payment of salaries, training and retraining, as well as attention to pensioners.
She expressed optimism that the measures would encourage more young people to consider teaching as a profession.