In a speech delivered at the 2023 Ghana Teacher Prize ceremony in Takoradi, the Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, addressed concerns regarding the distribution of teachers in the country.
Contrary to claims of a teacher shortage, Dr. Adutwum emphasized that Ghana is among the few nations in the world with an abundance of teachers.
The Minister acknowledged media reports highlighting the absence of teachers in some schools, particularly in rural areas. However, he attributed this issue to deployment challenges, which the government is actively working to rectify.
According to him, “We have a deployment challenge. There are so many people waiting to come and teach. You may go to an urban classroom where there are two teachers in the classroom, and you go to Zabzugu, and there is a shortage. I am therefore happy that we have committed that this deployment challenge will no longer be the case in the next few months.”
This assertion by Dr. Adutwum aligns with concerns raised by stakeholders about the uneven distribution of trained teachers in the country. Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, argued that Ghana does not suffer from a shortage of trained teachers but rather a distribution problem. He pointed out the over-concentration of teachers in urban areas to the detriment of rural communities.
As an example, Mr. Asare highlighted the Adentan municipality, which has a surplus of teachers despite needing more. In contrast, the Kumasi Metro, with a higher number of schools and classrooms, also had a surplus of teachers.
To address this imbalance, Dr. Adutwum revealed that the government is willing to provide transfer grants to teachers, allowing them to relocate to areas where they are most needed.
Dr. Adutwum emphasized that there is a pool of teachers waiting to be posted, and the government is prepared to expedite the deployment process. He stated, “There are so many people who are waiting to be posted to go and teach, and when we get clearance, we do that. We are one of the few countries in the world where you can get a hundred teachers today if you want them. The universities have done a good job, and we need to do a better job with the deployment process, and we are going to do just that.”
Furthermore, the Minister used the occasion to dispel claims that the education system is deteriorating under President Nana Akufo-Addo’s leadership. He emphasized the need for evidence-based communication and highlighted the progress made in improving literacy rates among primary students.
Dr. Adutwum stated, “When they say the education system is downhill, they are saying you (teachers) haven’t done a good job, but you have done a great job.”
While acknowledging that there are areas in need of more teachers, he emphasized that Ghana has an abundant supply of educators waiting to contribute to the nation’s educational development.
Source: GESHub.org
