By Jimoh Ahmed | The Pivot
Across Ondo State, the story is the same: cracked walls, leaking roofs, overcrowded classrooms, missing teachers, and a growing reliance on old students to do what government should. A months-long investigation by The Pivot has uncovered a widespread pattern of infrastructural decay and systemic neglect in public secondary schools, raising urgent questions about the future of education in the state.
Classrooms on the Brink
From Akure to Okitipupa, Owo to Ile-Oluji, many public secondary schools are operating in conditions that barely meet the minimum standards of learning.
During our field visits, we saw classrooms with collapsing ceilings, windows without shutters, and desks held together by stones. In one school, SS2 students were having classes under a mango tree because their classroom block had been declared unsafe. At another, rainwater dripped freely through the roof as students shifted their desks to avoid the wet patches.
Libraries have become storerooms. Science laboratories exist only in name. Toilets are broken, in some cases abandoned entirely, exposing students — especially girls — to health risks and indignity.
A teacher in Ondo Central who asked not to be named said:
“We are just managing. Every day we improvise because nothing works as it should.”
A System Running on Too Few Teachers
The staffing situation is no better. In many schools, entire subjects have no dedicated teachers.
We found schools where:
One teacher handles Biology, Agricultural Science, and Basic Science for all three senior classes.
Mathematics periods are merged because the school has only one Math teacher.
Technical subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Further Mathematics, and ICT are “taught” only on paper.
The result is predictable: large class sizes, skipped topics, and students struggling to compete with peers in private schools.
A principal in Owo revealed that his school has 12 science classes but only three science teachers.
Despite multiple announcements of recruitment drives, the impact has not been felt. Newly recruited teachers complain of delayed posting, lack of proper documentation, and slow payroll inclusion — issues that deepen the crisis.
Government Funding: Promises vs Reality
Ondo State budgets routinely allocate money for education, but capital projects and school maintenance rarely match the scale of need.
Most principals told The Pivot the same thing:
“Recurrent funds can barely run the school; capital funds don’t come as expected.”
The result is years of maintenance backlogs — broken roofs, outdated labs, and entire buildings marked “dangerous but still in use.”
Old Students Filling Government Shoes
In the face of neglect, alumni associations have become the accidental lifeline of many schools.
Across Ondo State, old students now:
Renovate classrooms and halls
Build toilet blocks
Provide chairs, desks, and whiteboards
Donate buses and ICT equipment
Fund laboratory upgrades
Pay casual workers who fill teaching gaps
While these efforts are commendable, they are also a glaring sign of government retreat.
A senior teacher put it bluntly:
“Without our old students, this school would have collapsed. But relying on them is not sustainable.”
Schools with strong alumni networks survive; those without are left in deeper decay — widening the gap between urban and rural learning conditions.
The Future at Risk
The consequences of the infrastructural and staffing collapse are already visible:
Declining WAEC and NECO performance
Reduced interest in science and technical subjects
Increased dropout rates
Higher migration to private schools
Rising inequality between communities
In the long run, the state risks producing a generation of students who lack the foundational skills required for a competitive future.
The Way Forward
Experts and stakeholders interviewed by The Pivot identified four urgent steps:
1. Create a transparent, ring-fenced school maintenance fund accessible to all public schools.
2. Fast-track teacher recruitment, posting, and payroll processes with open data on vacancies.
3. Develop a state-alumni partnership framework to integrate donations into a coordinated plan.
4. Prioritise science labs, ICT rooms, water and sanitation as non-negotiable essentials.
Ondo State’s public schools once ranked among the best in Nigeria. Today, they stand at a crossroads — neglected, underfunded, and increasingly dependent on charity.
If the trend continues, the children of the poor will be the biggest losers.
But with political will, consistent investment, and transparent management, the decline can still be reversed.
