Uncertainty Beclouds Osun Education Sector
EDUCATION, as largely regarded, is the bedrock of any progressive society. But, the sector has suffered a major setback and left in disarray in Osun State since the emergence of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
However, many stakeholders in the state have argued that the problem started during the administration of Mr Gboyega Oyetola, who reversed some of the laudable policies of his former boss and predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on education.
Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that most public schools in the state, especially in rural communities, are in deplorable conditions, with many grappling with dilapidated buildings and lack of modern equipment.
In its effort to restore the past glory of education as witnessed during Aregbesola’s administration, the present administration hosted an education summit between August 22 to 24, 2023, with the promise to reform and salvage the state’s declining education sector. But nineteen months after, there was no evidence that the resolutions from the summit have been implemented.
Also, the 2024 teachers’ recruitment exercise embarked upon by the Adeleke’s government remains inconclusive to date and all promises to issue appointment letters to the 5000 shortlisted applicants has not come to fruition.
Recently, the state government engaged 10,000 in the ‘Imole Youth Corps’, deployed undisclosed numbers of the Corps to public schools to teach. Meanwhile, their engagement to partake in teaching activities have raised concerns with many doubting their capabilities and qualification. But the government remained silent on the cogent issue raised.
Commenting on the situation, a legal practitioner with core interest in education policy and the right of children to quality education, Jacob Olaoluwa Esq. in an open letter dated March 28, 2025 and addressed to Governor Adeleke, urged him to declare a State of Emergency in Education.
According to Olaoluwa, public schools in Osun are in crisis and the quality of education has plummeted to an alarming level with damning statistics. The legal luminary called on Adeleke to use same determination used in constructing roads to fix public education in the state.
The copy of the letter obtained by OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday reads partly: “Your Excellency, the education sector under your administration is failing at an alarming rate, and the silence from the government is deafening. Therefore, it is imperative that the same energy and urgency you have deployed in infrastructural development be applied to revitalizing the education sector.
“Your Excellency, our schools are in crisis and unfortunately the quality of education in Osun State has plummeted to an alarming level with damning statistics. Osun, a state with 1,340 primary schools (693 in rural communities and 647 in urban areas) and 387 secondary schools, continues to lag in educational development compared to states like Lagos and Anambra, which consistently rank at the top in WAEC and NECO results from 2019 till date.
“The stark reality is that our children have being left behind, an urgent intervention is needed. The academic performance of Osun State students in national examinations has experienced a significant decline in recent years. In 2016, the state ranked 29th out of 36 states in WAEC performance. By 2018, Osun State achieved its best result, ranking 7th nationally.
“However, in 2019, the state’s performance dropped to 14th, followed by a further decline to 34th position in 2020. In 2021, Osun State ranked last (36th), with only 32.6% of public-school students obtaining five credits, including Mathematics and English.
“This is an indictment of the leadership in the Ministry of Education, SUBEB and TESCOM which has demonstrated neither foresight nor direction. I challenge you to call for better policy coordination between the agencies to reposition education in our dear state.
“In August 2023, the Osun State Government hosted an Education Summit from the 22nd to the 24th, promising sweeping reforms to salvage our declining education sector. However, one year later, there is little to no evidence that the resolutions from that summit have been implemented.
“What has the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Dipo Eluwole, done with the recommendations? Where is the roadmap for improvement? The silence from the government on education is deafening, and Osun cannot afford to continue this trajectory.
“Osun State boasts of 13 universities, yet it is not a hub for research and academic excellence. This is a travesty that must be corrected. Education should be the cornerstone of development in Osun, yet the Ministry of Education under the current Commissioner has failed to provide the leadership required to steer our institutions toward global competitiveness.
“For this reason, I urge a review of the current leadership in the Ministry of Education. Osun deserves a Commissioner for Education who recognizes the need for urgent reform and has the necessary skills and vision to implement effective changes.”
Also, he urged the Governor to rehabilitate schools and equip them with modern equipment for adequate learning. “Additionally, schools must be rehabilitated and equipped with adequate learning resources, while educational policies should emphasize inclusivity, access, and accountability to ensure all children benefit from quality education,” he added.
More so, the Concerned Civil Society Groups in Osun has called on Adeleke to expedite action on the teachers’ recruitment exercise, saying the process is long-overdue.
The Group in a press statement signed by its Coordinator, Jolapoma Bolanle (Machiavelli)
and Spokesperson, Olanrewaju Stephen (Olans) said the matter may snowball into a bigger crisis if not addressed on time.
The statement reads partly: “We also bring to the Governor’s attention the long-overdue issue of letters of appointment for awaiting teachers in the state who applied over a year ago. We urge the government to expedite action on this matter immediately, as the matter may snowball into a bigger crisis if not addressed on time. The shortage of teachers has been a clog in the wheel of educational progress in the state.
“We have noticed that some of the newly recruited members of the Imole Youth Corps have been deployed to teach in some of our schools. We are of the strong view that these individuals should be given crash training on teaching so that the genuine intention for deploying them will not backfire.”
Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.
