Basic schools need more teachers

15-06-10


THE Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) need more than 33,000 teachers to meet shortfalls in basic schools across the country.
Figures collated from nine of the 10 regions indicated that there were 33,185 vacancies, while figures from the Upper West Region are yet to be computed.
In the interim, 8,625 teachers have just passed out of the 38 Colleges of Education. They comprise 6,670 general subject teachers; 777 technical school teachers, 170 French teachers and 1,008 Mathematics/Science teachers who would be posted to schools in October.
According to the guidelines developed by the Ghana Education Service for the postings of newly trained teachers, “the 777 technical, 170 French and 1,008 Maths/Science teachers should be posted to junior high schools to first and foremost teach Technical Skills, French, Maths and Science respectively and any other subjects”.
The remaining 6,670 teachers may be posted to teach at either the junior high school or primary level, depending on the demand for teachers.
“The vacancies far exceed the number graduating. These newly trained teachers should first and foremost be posted to fill actual vacancies in deprived/underserved schools,” the guidelines indicated, adding that “teachers who report late or refuse posting by the end of October should be treated as having vacated post and the GES sanctions for vacation of post should be applied”.
The guidelines said the Integrated Payment Payroll Database (IPPD) Unit should be informed about vacation of post cases in order to suspend the affected teachers’ salary.
It said regional/district directors should report such cases of vacation of post to the GES headquarters by the end of November for the necessary action to be taken.
The guidelines explained further that all non-sponsored teacher trainees should be posted to deprived schools and that declared vacancies in the deprived areas should be filled first before the urban areas.
The service, the guidelines indicated, should work out teacher motivation packages for those posted to the deprived areas, adding that where a district was split into two, the mother district should give priority to the newly created district in the allocation of teachers.
“Newly trained teachers who are posted to deprived areas are often exposed to social hazards. It is, therefore, suggested that as much as practicable they should be posted in pairs to deprived areas,” the guidelines indicated.
The list of newly trained teachers allocated to the regions should be sent to the GES headquarters by June 29, 2010 to ensure the payment of their allowances by the end of September.
The guidelines also indicated that district directors were to wait for all newly recruited teachers’ forms to be assembled before processing and forwarding them to the headquarters.
The guidelines said regional and district directors of education were required to ‘market’ their regions and districts to make them attractive.
“District Directors and headteachers should observe and adhere to the recommendations made on the posting forms by Principals of Training Colleges on newly trained teachers to be able to place them appropriately and suitably for effective teaching to take place,” the guidelines also indicated.