By Ismail Kolapo
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Southwest Zone has condemned the Osun State government’s decision to deploy Imole Youth Corps members as makeshift teachers in primary and secondary schools.
NANS described the move as a “politically motivated scheme” that undermines the teaching profession and ignores qualified graduates who applied for teaching positions.
In a statement signed by the General Secretary, NANS Southwest (Zone D) Comrade Olutunde Aboke, union demanded a transparent recruitment process for certified teachers, warning against of long-term negative impacts on education quality.
The statement read, “The attention of the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest (Zone D), has been drawn to a recent press statement released by the Osun State Government, announcing the deployment of 1,750 members of the Imole Youth Corps to various primary and secondary schools across the state as makeshift teachers.
“While we recognize the need to urgently fill the personnel gap in our schools, we are deeply disappointed and strongly opposed to the decision to convert a temporary civic engagement initiative into an alternative to a robust and credible teachers’ recruitment system.
“We wish to categorically state that:
This decision undermines the professional integrity of the teaching profession. Teaching is not a fallback job for the underemployed or a stopgap for government inefficiencies. It requires passion, proper training, certification, and ongoing professional development none of which were the original prerequisites for the Imole Youth Corps.
“The failed teachers’ recruitment exercise remains a painful betrayal. Thousands of qualified young graduates paid to apply for the previously advertised Osun teachers’ recruitment, went through screening processes, and waited in high hopes, only to be ignored and replaced with a politically motivated scheme. This is not only unjust – it is an insult to their aspirations and financial sacrifice.
“What message are we sending to our children and pupils? That anyone with a uniform and vague credentials can become their teacher? That our education system can be held together by temporary fixes and electoral timelines? We fear this will have long-term negative impacts on the quality of education and learning outcomes in Osun State.
“The government must prioritize proper recruitment, not political redeployment. While we acknowledge the financial challenges faced by the state, education cannot and should not be compromised. We demand that the Adeleke-led administration immediately begin transparent recruitment of qualified and certified teachers through a merit-based process, not patronage or political convenience.
Training on the job is not enough. Even if these Corps members possess NCE or university degrees, they were not recruited as teachers, nor were they oriented for classroom delivery and educational pedagogy. Without rigorous teacher preparation, this arrangement puts both the Corps members and students at a disadvantage.
“The students’ community will not stand idle. We call on education stakeholders, parents, professional education bodies, and civil society groups to join us in rejecting any shortcuts that undermine the value of education. Osun students will not be guinea pigs in the name of cost-saving measures.
“In conclusion, we call on Governor Ademola Adeleke to uphold his promise of transparency, competence, and quality governance by revisiting this ill-advised policy. A “new education era” cannot begin with recycled ideas wrapped in political branding. Let the Imole Youth Corps serve their original civic purpose and let professionally trained teachers handle the classrooms.
