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. 25 Aug 09