The Ondo State Government has attributed the shortage of teachers in public schools across the state to years of failure to recruit replacements for retiring teachers and poor remuneration in the teaching profession.
The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, said the state went for several years without recruiting teachers even as serving teachers retired regularly, creating a growing gap in the education system.
Ajibefun explained that teachers continued to leave the service through retirement without corresponding replacements, resulting in a deficit that has persisted in public schools.
He said the situation developed over several years, making it difficult for the state to immediately bridge the gap despite recent recruitment efforts.
The commissioner disclosed that the state conducted a major recruitment exercise in 2025, during which more than 2,000 teachers were employed and deployed to public schools.
However, he said the recruitment exercise could not completely address the shortage because of the large number of vacancies that had accumulated before the exercise.
Ajibefun also identified poor remuneration as another factor contributing to the shortage, saying the low salaries paid to teachers had made the profession less attractive to younger people.
READ ALSO:
- Gombe 2027: APC Puts Gov Yahaya’s Eight-Year Record As Selling Points For Gwamna’s Campaign
- Gov Otu Woos Investors With Cocoa, Palm, Cassava Revolution Success
- Bauchi Gov Suspends Emir Of Lame Over Alleged Misconduct
According to him, many young people are increasingly unwilling to take up teaching jobs because of the financial limitations associated with the profession.
He said,”For many years, teachers were not recruited in Ondo State, even as serving teachers retired regularly. Every day and every week, teachers retired, leaving a gap in the system without replacement.
”However, in 2025, the state conducted a major recruitment exercise, during which over 2,000 teachers were employed and distributed to schools.
”Because a large deficit had already been created over the years, it will take some time to fill the gap completely. Nevertheless, the recruitment exercise has already brought some improvement.”
He noted that younger people were less willing to remain in a profession where the financial rewards were considered inadequate, unlike the older generation.
The commissioner said improving teachers’ salaries and providing better incentives would encourage more young people to embrace the profession and motivate serving teachers to remain in the system.
