Education
Teacher Recruitment and Support
Strengthening teaching capacity in public schools
teachers supported
public schools reached
current phase began
Helping children remain in school also means supporting the schools they attend. Investment in school buildings needs to be matched by investment in the teachers who make learning possible.
In the communities GIPSED serves, teacher shortages remain a major challenge. Some public primary schools with classes from Primary 1 to Primary 6 have only three teachers, requiring individual teachers to teach two classes. Public secondary schools also face shortages in core subjects. These gaps limit the attention and instruction students receive and place additional demands on the available teachers.
Teacher Recruitment and Support is GIPSED’s flagship intervention for addressing teacher shortages in public schools in Odo-Otin LGA. Through the programme, GIPSED recruits and funds additional teachers, complementing government efforts to improve education at the grassroots.
How the programme began
The programme began in 2013, when GIPSED recruited seven teachers to support Odo-Otin Grammar School and St Anthony’s R.C.M. Primary School, both in Okuku. This initial phase ran for two years before it was discontinued.
GIPSED relaunched the programme in 2021, recruiting 18 teachers. Support has continued since then and has expanded to 20 teachers serving 14 public schools across Odo-Otin LGA.
Identifying schools that need support
Schools generally enter the programme through a formal request from their headteacher or principal. In some cases, community leaders initiate the request, as happened with Government Technical School, Inisa.
To inform its decisions, GIPSED field volunteers conducted an assessment of public primary and middle schools across Odo-Otin LGA. The assessment examined teacher availability, student enrolment, furniture, and water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.
This information helps GIPSED verify requests and understand the staffing needs of schools seeking assistance.
Recruiting teachers with schools and communities
Participating schools advertise teaching vacancies within their communities, including through churches and mosques. School management, a parent–teacher association representative and GIPSED staff jointly interview applicants.
Preference is given to suitable teachers who live in the local community. This supports proximity to the school and makes it easier to maintain contact and monitor their work.
The process gives schools and parents a direct role in selecting the teachers who will serve their children.
Sustained funding and reliable salary payments
The salaries of all GIPSED-supported teachers are funded entirely from the personal income of the co-founders, Dr Michael Olugbile and Mrs Oluwapelumi Olugbile.
Salaries have been paid consistently on or before the 26th of each month, providing teachers with a predictable payment schedule.
This continuing commitment complements GIPSED’s student scholarships. Financial assistance helps children remain in school, while additional teachers strengthen the learning environment they return to each day.
Schools currently supported
The 20 teachers serve the following 14 public schools:
| School | Community |
|---|---|
| St Michael’s Primary School | Okuku |
| Oyinlola D.C. Primary School | Okuku |
| Oyinlola Comprehensive High School | Okuku |
| Government Technical School | Inisa |
| Inisa Grammar School | Inisa |
| St Anthony’s R.C.M. School | Okuku |
| N.U.D. Primary School | Ekosin |
| St Paul’s Anglican Primary School | Iyeku |
| All Saints Anglican Primary School | Agbeye |
| St Michael’s Anglican Primary School | Okua |
| St Paul’s Anglican Primary School | Ekosin |
| St Gabriel’s Anglican Primary School | Ore |
| Muslim Community Primary School | Iyeku |
| St Thomas Anglican Primary School | Ekusa |
Working with schools and communities
Headteachers and principals help keep the programme connected to classroom needs. Parent–teacher representatives, community leaders and religious leaders contribute to recruitment and local coordination.
These relationships help GIPSED direct its resources towards identified gaps and maintain regular engagement with the schools it supports.
The programme in numbers
2013: programme launched with seven teachers in two schools.
2021: programme relaunched with 18 teachers.
Currently: 20 teachers supported across 14 public schools in Odo-Otin LGA.
100% of teacher salaries funded by the co-founders.
Monthly salaries paid on or before the 26th.
Teacher numbers describe the programme at different stages and are not added together as a cumulative total.
Teachers and schools in focus
Photographs and accounts from participating teachers and school leaders will illustrate the programme’s work. Annual records will document the teachers supported, their schools and the subjects or classes they teach.
Through sustained teacher support, GIPSED helps public schools respond to staffing shortages and gives children greater access to the teaching they need.