Osun deploys 1,750 Imole Youth Corps to schools amid teacher shortage, sparking APC criticism.
Governor Adeleke says it’s temporary, but opposition calls it a setback to quality education.
The Osun State Government has deployed 1,750 members of the Imole Youth Corps to public primary and secondary schools across the state to address a growing teacher shortage. The deployment, which comes amid delays in the mass recruitment of permanent teaching staff, has drawn intense criticism from the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Ademola Adeleke approved the temporary measure, citing financial constraints as the reason for the delay in hiring full-time teachers. According to the governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the corps members being posted to schools hold either a Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) or a university degree, and are being deployed to ensure continuity in teaching across critical subject areas.
Adeleke reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to improving educational outcomes, stating that the state aims to move from its current 7th position to rank among the top three in national performance metrics. He added that full-scale recruitment of permanent teachers will commence once the state’s financial situation improves.
However, the move has drawn sharp condemnation from the Osun APC, which described the deployment as a threat to the future of education in the state. In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the party accused the Adeleke-led administration of undermining qualified teacher applicants who had already undergone interviews and were awaiting formal placement.
“It defies logic how a government that is constructing five needless flyovers, buying luxury vehicles, and spending heavily on government house feeding can turn around to post 1,750 untrained teachers to public schools,” the APC stated.
The party further argued that the corps members, as temporary appointees, lack the training and stability needed to ensure long-term improvement in education quality. Calling the initiative a “collective setback”, the APC demanded that the governor apologize to parents and education stakeholders and reconsider the policy.
They also questioned the priorities of the administration and called on Governor Adeleke to resign if he is unable to address core governance issues like education responsibly.
