Gov Makinde Doubles Down on Improving Standard of Education as Number of Teachers Spike from 13,730 to 26,436

The Chairperson of Oyo State Post Primary Schools’ Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Mrs Olubukola Oladipo, has hailed Governor Seyi Makinde for increasing staff strength in secondary schools from 13,730 in 2019 to 26,436 after just six years in office.

Mrs Oladipo made this known during a session of Omituntun 2.0 Inter-Ministerial Briefing.

She said the state government recruited 10,500 teaching and non-teaching workers in the second term of Governor Makinde.

She said the recruitment had brought about massive improvement in students’ academic performance in internal and external examinations, apart from creating employment opportunities for youths and also improving the standard of living of teaching and non-teaching workers.

The TESCOM chairperson said the commission had also succeeded in creating additional educational zones for ease of school administration, adding: “Four educational zones were created by the governor for ease of school administration, now adding up to 10 educational zones. We have Ibadan Zone I, II, III, IV, Oyo, Ogbomoso, Kishi, Saki, Eruwa and Iseyin educational zones.

“We also created the Directorate of Pension and Post Services for effective and efficient service delivery for the TESCOM retirees.

“We appointed 10 tutors-general/permanent secretaries and a permanent secretary at the headquarters for effective and efficient service delivery in areas of monitoring and supervision of teachers and students.”

Mrs Oladipo said the commission was also able to conduct the 2017 to 2024 promotion exercises for eligible officers.

“In 2024 and early 2025, the recruitment of 7,500 teaching and 3,000 non-teaching workers for the improvement in students’ academic performance both in internal and external examinations took place.

That gave an opportunity for the employment of youths and this will have multiplier effects of increasing the standard of living of the employed teaching and non-teaching workers.

“As of 2019 when the governor came on board, the total staff strength was 13,730 and it is encouraging to state that the staff strength has increased to 26,436.

“The state government has continued to pay running grants to the 695 public secondary schools to ease school administration for school principals,” she added.

She said the commission had been paying vehicle loans to interested teaching and non-teaching workers of the commission across the 10 zonal offices, noting that it had also introduced e-payment for payment of car loan to ease tension faced by teaching and non-teaching workers, who usually travelled to the headquarters to pick cheques.

Oladipo said the commission had integrated 2,000 seconded teachers from SUBEB to TESCOM and had continued to ensure that they got job satisfaction and a sense of belonging.

The chairperson stated that the commission was proposing training for the 695 principals to expose them to 21st century school management techniques.

She lauded the governor for his magnanimity to the teaching and non-teaching workers of the commission, to whom he had continued to pay salaries as and when due, leave bonuses, 13th month salary and also giving approvals for a number of welfare programmes.

“It is important to state that the governor has also approved the terminal Grade Level of Teaching Staff to Grade Level 17.”

The TESCOM chairperson was accompanied by the commission’s Coordinating Director, Revd. A.V. Adesola.