Oyo to recruit 14,500 teachers, preps schools to absorb roaming children

The Oyo government says it is looking to recruit up to 17,500 staff across its public primary and secondary schools.

Salihu Adelabu, the state’s education commissioner, spoke in Ibadan on plans to absorb its out-of-school children into classrooms.

He said 7,000 teachers and a few caregivers would be recruited into the state’s basic education arm.

The commissioner said about 7,500 teachers and 3,000 non-teaching staff will also be recruited at the secondary school level.

In Ibadan, there are concerns that an increasing number of school-age children roam the streets and motor parks in during school hours.

These children are often spotted begging for alms, hawking, and engaging in social vices.

Adelabu said the state is working to keep reducing its population of out-of-school children.

He said Seyi Makinde, the state governor, mopped up to 20 percent of out-of-school children and put them back in the classrooms during his first tenure.

The commissioner however expressed concern that the migration of children from other parts of the country has been a major setback.

“In the course of profiling them, they could not be traced to recognised parents or guardians. So, we are finding it difficult to take them back to school,” Adelabu said.

“You may see some in Akinyele today, but don’t be surprised that tomorrow, they may relocate to Challenge.”

The commissioner said the indigenes amongst the out-of-school children have been complying with state efforts on school enrolment.

He said some others and their parents are, however, sceptical and exhibiting a negative mindset on schooling.

Adelabu said the government looks to continue investing in infrastructure, including building model schools to care for all students.

He said the student population had been properly managed with hardly a school in the state having more than 1,500 students.

He said the state had been involved in recirculation and splitting to give each head of school a manageable size of students.

“I can bet, there is none that is up to 2,000 population of students,” Adelabu added.

“About 7,000 teachers and a few caregivers would be recruited to our basic education arm, while about 7,500 teachers and 3,000 non-teaching staff will be recruited at the secondary school level.”

Nigeria’s education system is faced with the twin crises of a large and growing out-of-school population and severe learning poverty.

The United Nation’s Children Fund earlier said insufficient domestic finance for primary education caused a shortfall of 378,000 classrooms and about 278,000 teachers.

It said one in three Nigerian children is out of school, 10.2 million at primary school level and 8.1 million at junior secondary level.