By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has increased the staff strength in the state’s secondary schools from 13,730 in 2019 to 26,436 after just six years in office.
The state Chairperson of Post Primary Schools’ Teaching Service Commission, Mrs Olubukola Oladipo, made this known on Wednesday, during the Omituntun 2.0 Inter-Ministerial Briefing, held at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat in Ibadan.
A statement by the Special Adviser on Media to the governor, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, in Ibadan, the state capital, noted that the State Government recruited 10,500 teaching and non-teaching staff in just the second term of Governor Makinde.
Oladipo said the commission had also succeeded in creating additional Educational Zones for ease of school administration.
She said, “Four Educational Zones were created by His Excellency for ease of School Administration, now adding up to ten 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 ten 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.”
The TESCOM chairperson added that 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 staff 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 the multiplier effects of increasing the standard of living of the employed teaching and non-teaching staff.
“As of 2019, when the governor came on board, the total staff strength was 13,73,0, and it is encouraging to state that the staff strength has increased to 26,436.
“The government has continued to pay Running Grants to the 695 public secondary schools to ease school administration for school principals,” she added.
She explained that the commission has been paying vehicle loans to interested teaching and non-teaching staff of the commission across the ten Zonal Offices.
Oladipo added that the commission has also introduced e-payment for the payment of car loans to ease the tension faced by teaching and non-teaching staff, who usually travelled to the headquarters to pick cheques.
The chairperson stated that the commission is proposing training for the 695 principals to expose them to 21st-century school management techniques.