The old students of Imade College, Owo in Ondo State have appealed to the state government to address a severe shortage of teachers after stepping in to privately fund 29 ad hoc teachers to keep the school running.
The old students under the auspices of the Imade College Old Students Association, said they had been hiring and paying ad hoc teachers to bridge the staffing gap.
They equally said the efforts were to 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 N11 million 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 N11 million 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 N11 million 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 N200 million 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.
Similarly, the Vice-President of IMACOSA Worldwide, Surveyor Felix Ajibade, said the association 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 state 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.
“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.”
Dr Oluwadayisi Oke, the Chairman of the Ondo State Teaching Service Commission, while speaking with journalists at the programme, admitted to teacher shortage in the school.
Oke disclosed that the government was making efforts to address the gap through more recruitment.
She said the government was supporting teachers through improved welfare, timely payment of salaries, training and retraining, as well as attention to pensioners.
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