Possible exodus of teachers from Ghana a cause for concern – Mr. Peter Ani Partey.

Peter Ani Partey, the Executive Director of the Institute for Education Studies, has expressed his concerns regarding the potential departure of teachers from Ghana to the United Kingdom, which has opened up recruitment opportunities for educators from African countries. He emphasized that this situation should be a cause for concern.

The UK government's new recruitment policy targets teachers with qualifications equivalent to their British counterparts and a minimum of one year of teaching experience. According to the National Teaching Council (NTC) of Ghana, there are approximately 10,000 teachers in the country who meet these criteria and are certified to work abroad.

The possible exodus of such a substantial number of teachers could have a significant impact on Ghana's educational system, potentially resulting in a severe shortage of qualified teaching staff within the country and affecting the overall quality of education.

Mr. Partey highlighted the importance of retaining experienced teachers within Ghana's educational system, as these educators possess valuable expertise and knowledge gained through training and investment. He noted that investments in teachers, such as training allowances and resources, should ideally yield a return by having these educators contribute to the development of Ghana's human capital.

In response to the situation, Ghana's Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, indicated that the government is considering offering transfer grants to teachers who are willing to be posted to deprived communities. This initiative aims to address teacher-student ratios across the country. Dr. Adutwum emphasized that Ghana has a sufficient number of teachers and that efforts are being made to ensure that educators are appropriately distributed to areas in need of their services.

Speaking at the National Teachers Day celebration in Takoradi, in the Western Region, Dr. Adutwum said that Ghana was not lacking teachers.

“If there is a need to pay transfer grants, we will pay it so that teachers can go to the places that need them the most. And we can forever put to rest this illusion that there is a shortage when there is no shortage.”

“There are so many people who are waiting to be posted to go and teach and when we get clearance we will do that. We are one of the few countries in the world where you can get 100 teachers today if you want them,” he said.