FEATURE: Inside Osun Public School Where Parents Pay To Hire Teachers For Students

 

• Old Students Calls For Government Intervention

Yusuf Oketola

THE dearth of teachers and infrastructure in majority of the public schools in the State of Osun came to the fore on Wednesday when some parents of C&S Grammar School, Ipetumodu, claimed that they contribute money to hire teachers to teach their children at the school. 

This development questioned the distribution of 2500 teachers claimed to have been recruited by the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. 

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that in spite of the government’s claim, majority of public schools in Osun are still lacking enough teachers, most especially those to teach key subjects like English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. 

At the C&S Grammar School, Ipetumodu, only commercial and art subjects teachers were available, according to the parents.

The parents who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER under condition of anonymity, said they pay some individuals to teach their children science subjects in the school.

According to them, members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who are posted to the school are the only available personnel for the science classes. 

It was specifically noted that the school does not have any teacher for chemistry subject. The laboratory of the school has been shutdown, while equipment there has been moved to the principal’s office.

Aside teachers, the school which was founded in 1978, is also lacking classrooms and administrative building. 

The medium reliably gathered that members of the school’s Parents Teachers Association paid a sum of N1000 each to pay the hired teachers.

Only two are fairly functioning out of the 10 buildings in the school, it was observed. 

Each of the two buildings has three classrooms which makes each congested. 

Students were also reported to be bringing their own furniture from home as there’s no enough seats.

Teachers and students also have to resort to open defecation as the school has no standard toilet facility.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, an alumnus of the school, Mr. Kehinde Adetumbi, who was the Senior Prefect of the school between 1998-1999, said he was displeased with the current condition of the school.

Adetumbi stated that the condition of the school started worsening four years ago when rainstorm blew the roofs of some of the buildings. 

He said another rainstorm also affected the school buildings and almost blew the roofs of other manageable classrooms away about a year ago. 

He said: “The condition of the school started worsening in the last four years ago when there was a rainstorm that blew all the roofs of the buildings. In the year 2021 again, another rainstorm really affected the school again and blew almost all other buildings’ roofs. 

“Now, the only available classroom is only a building with three classrooms. All other classrooms have been affected by the rainstorm.

“Also, both the biology and physics laboratory in the school are no longer in existence. Even the school hall is nothing to write home about. As we speak, apart from a building of three classrooms, the only fair building is the principal’s office and the staff room. 

“The school has 10 buildings, out of which only two are manageable as we speak. The population of the school now is about 150. The school is also being used as WAEC and NECO Centre.

“The pathetic part of it is that the school don’t have enough teachers. Maybe about four to five teachers are in that school, including the principal. 

“I confirmed that they only have social and art subject teachers. They either hired part time teacher or use corps members sent to them to teach science subjects. In fact, they haven’t got any for chemistry.

“The PTA members were asked to be paying N1000 to service the part-time teachers and each student is paying N4000 per term as directed by the state government

“They have moved all science materials into one office, since there is no laboratory again.”

Adetumbi stressed that he has been trying to form an alumni association for the school to facilitate projects to the school.