Members of the 1996 set of the Oyemekun Grammar School Old Students’ Association have urged the Ondo State Government to urgently recruit more qualified teachers to address the persistent shortage of teaching personnel in public secondary schools across the state.
The appeal was made on Thursday during the association’s 30th anniversary reunion in Akure.
The association’s President, Johnson Olaniyan, said that although alumni initiatives have helped to improve infrastructure in some public schools, resolving the shortage of qualified teachers requires direct government intervention.
“Government should recruit more qualified teachers so that students can receive quality education,” he said.
Olaniyan acknowledged the state government’s efforts to strengthen the education sector but stressed that more must be done, particularly in deploying qualified teachers to public schools.
“I think the government should assist because, for the school to attain greater heights, its support is very essential. I know the government has been trying, but it needs to do more in collaboration with old students’ associations,” he added.
He noted that public schools without active alumni associations are facing the greatest challenges and warned that, unless more qualified teachers are recruited, students in those schools would continue to be disadvantaged.
Olaniyan reaffirmed the association’s commitment to supporting its alma mater through various initiatives but maintained that ensuring adequate staffing of public schools with qualified teachers remains the responsibility of the state government.
The reunion also featured a public lecture and student support initiatives organised by the association as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.
