By Quadri Adeniyi Olorunfunmi
Let us begin with the Ogun State community context. According to the Community Impact Case Study FY20 by Teach For Nigeria, Nigeria is facing a serious education crisis. Many children are out of school, and a large number of those enrolled are not learning effectively. There is a major shortage of teachers, and funding for education is far below recommended levels, despite the country having a very young population.
Ogun State, often described as the nation’s educational hub, is well positioned to lead meaningful improvements. The state is home to many universities and notable scholars, and the government has been investing in primary education by expanding access, renovating schools, and training teachers, despite limited funds. Since 2017, the Ogun State Government has partnered with Teach For Nigeria (TFN) to improve educational outcomes.
However, from personal observation and conversations with fellow corps members, there are serious concerns within the system. Many senior and experienced teachers in Ogun State public schools are not performing their duties as effectively as they should. It is not that they lack knowledge or experience; rather, they are not fully applying their skills to improve students’ learning outcomes.
During a discussion with a senior corps member and university course mate about the two-day midterm break in Ogun State schools, I mentioned that the holiday seemed too short. She responded that in Lagos, schools observe a one-week midterm break. I then remarked that even with the shorter break in Ogun State, many students still struggle academically. While there are brilliant students, they make up only about 2–5% of the total population. I expressed my concern that the problem may lie partly with teachers not fully carrying out their responsibilities. She agreed, sharing similar observations from her own school. That conversation inspired this article.
One recurring issue is that some senior teachers do little to actively improve or impart knowledge to students. Instead, they tend to delegate most of the work to junior teaching staff and corps members, while maintaining authority over them. In my school, much of the effort to improve students’ performance is carried out by junior staff, especially the Ogun Teach personnel. From what I have gathered, there are enough experienced and knowledgeable teachers to cover all subjects without missing periods. However, many are not consistently available or fully engaged in classroom teaching.
For example, new teachers posted to teach English, Literature, and other subjects often lack adequate support. Ogun Teach staff are sometimes overstretched, teaching subjects outside their areas of specialization. This situation is discouraging, both for them and for corps members who are genuinely interested in pursuing teaching as a profession.
It is troubling that some SS3 students, who are about to graduate and possibly pursue higher education, struggle to read and understand a simple comprehension passage. This issue is not limited to my school alone; it appears to be widespread across many schools in Ogun State and even in other parts of Nigeria. A senior corps member in Lagos once shared that an SS3 student did not know the difference between a noun and a pronoun. Yet such a student has progressed from primary school through SS1 and SS2 to SS3.
Another major concern is the lack of collaboration between teachers and parents. While teachers can be criticized for not doing enough, parents also have a role to play. In some schools in Lagos, parent–teacher meetings are held at least twice each session. These meetings allow teachers to inform parents about their children’s academic progress and discuss ways to support learning at home. In many schools in Ogun State, however, such meetings appear to be rare or nonexistent. This gap needs urgent attention.
Teacher shortage is another significant issue. In the first school where I was posted in Ogun State, there was no English teacher, despite English being a core subject. Because of the long distance to my clearance location, I requested a change of my Place of Primary Assignment (PPA) from my Local Government Inspector (LGI). At the new school, I discovered that their only English teacher had just been transferred, so they were eager to accept me. Not long after, a new English teacher was posted—an experienced and capable educator—but he was not fully available to the students.
In conclusion, these are issues that the government and senior education authorities need to address. This article is not written to condemn teachers or discredit the educational sector, but to highlight areas that require improvement. The goal is to see students in Ogun State senior secondary schools demonstrate strong knowledge and competence—evidence of meaningful impact from their teachers. This aspiration should not be limited to Ogun State alone but should extend across all states in Nigeria.
