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University graduates flood basic schools in urban areas
Accra, Aug 26, GNA - Mr. Mathias Puozaa,
Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education,
on Wednesday said the over concentration of qualified
teachers in urban area was instrumental in the decline in
education standards.
“As a result, many qualified teachers, mostly university
graduates, do not want to accept postings to rural areas
since amenities such as potable water, electricity and
accommodation are lacking leaving only pupil teachers or no
teachers at all in those areas”.
Mr. Puozaa, who was speaking to the GNA in an interview,
appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to consider
decongesting schools in urban areas that are overstaffed
with graduate teachers to the detriment of schools in rural
areas.
He appealed to the government to expedite action on rural
electrification and housing programmes with other incentive
packages that would attract more qualified teachers to rural
areas.
Mr. Puozaa, the Member of Parliament for Nadowli East, said
political pressure was also contributing to the over
concentration of qualified teachers in urban areas.
“Most teachers whose spouses are government workers,
ministers, MPs and other officials will definitely find
their way to the urban schools because their spouses put a
lot of pressure on the GES to put them in urban schools”.
He suggested that communities that could not immediately
benefit from the rural electrification programme should be
provided with solar lamps to encourage teachers accept
postings to schools in those deprived areas.
Mr. Puozaa appealed to the government to empower the
Inspectorate Division of the GES to constantly monitor
public schools and make recommendations that would improve
standards.
“Even some schools in the cities are deprived and therefore
need support to be at par with the so-called endowed
schools.”
He said most private schools were doing well because there
was effective monitoring and evaluation and expressed the
hope that with the empowerment of the division standards
could be improved.
GNA
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