Beyond Stopgap: The Institutionalization of Ad-Hoc Teachers as a Response to Teacher Shortages in Secondary Schools in Lagos, Nigeria

Teacher shortages in public secondary schools in Lagos, Nigeria, though an aberration, have become normalized, resulting in reliance on ad-hoc teachers as a stopgap measure. Driven by years of non-recruitment, resignations, deaths, and retirements, this deficit has increased the engagement of ad-hoc teachers; yet empirical studies examining how school principals navigate this policy failure remain scarce. This study explored the institutionalization of ad-hoc teachers as a response to teacher shortages in secondary schools in Lagos. Drawing upon resource dependence theory and institutional theory, and using semi-structured interviews with principals across all six educational districts to capture their real-life experiences and coping strategies as they systematically adjust adherence to the state educational policy and reallocate scarce resources to keep the schools functional. Findings revealed that most secondary schools are understaffed and rely on the use of ad-hoc teachers as a stopgap. The study concludes that strategic interventions by the state government are urgently required to remedy this situation and optimise the utilization of the vast number of ad-hoc teachers. Creation of a database of all ad-hoc teachers, provision of support systems, creation of systems for conversion to permanent employment, and partnership with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria were the recommendations.