[ 2014-09-29 ]

Ghana Tops Teacher Absenteeism In West Africa
Ghana ranks first in teacher absenteeism in West
Africa, reports from the World Bank and the United
Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
(UNICEF) have revealed.

According to the reports, teacher malingering is
the major contributory

factor to the low performance of pupils and
students in public basic schools in the country.

Mr Alex Kyeremeh, a Deputy Minister of Education,
made this known at a stakeholders' forum on
education at Dormaa- Ahenkro on Thursday.

Under the theme,
'Enhancing Quality Education In The Dormaa Central
Municipality: The Role Of Stakeholders', the well
attended forum was jointly organised by the Dormaa
Central Municipal Assembly and the Municipal
Directorate of Education.

Mr Kyeremeh, who is the Member of Parliament for
Techiman South, said

the government would not tolerate lazy teachers
and appealed to teachers who had no interest in
the profession to quit.

He urged Regional and District Directors of
Education to collaborate effectively with
Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief
Executives, to strengthen supervisory role, by
paying unannounced visits to basic schools at
short intervals.

This, the Deputy Education Minister, said would
enable them to identify truant and recalcitrant
teachers for action to be taken against them.

Mr Kyeremeh said ensuring quality education was
based on three pillars, which are access, quality
and equity, adding that while the government would
make basic education easily accessible and
affordable, teachers ought to be supportive to
improve performances.

He expressed worry about school heads who charge
unapproved fees, especially at the Senior High
School level, and warned that Regional and
District Directors of Education would be held
accountable if the situation continued.

Dr George Adjei- Henne, Brong-Ahafo Regional
Director of Education, said teachers played a
pivotal role in promoting quality education and
that was why they ought to be well motivated.

'Teachers are the main determinant of quality
education,' he said, and added that despite
efforts by the government to enhance their
conditions of service, some of them were not ready
to work.

Dr Adjei-Henne expressed regret about how some
parents spend their monies on merry-making and
expensive clothing at the expense of the education
of their children and appealed to parents to show
interest in the moral upbringing and development
of their children.

He said School Management Committees were weak and
asked Directors of Education to take the
responsibility to make them vibrant.

Mr Gordon Asubonteng, Dormaa Central Municipal
Chief Executive, said last year the assembly
inaugurated four basic school infrastructures

at Masu, Nsuhia, Antwirifo and Sromani in the
municipality.

It also renovated threeunit classroom blocks with
ancillary structures at Nsesreso and Abonsrakrom,
and two number four unit mini self-contained
bungalows for teachers at Kyekyewere and Dabaabi.

Mr Bernard Adu- Afram, Dormaa Central Municipal
Director of Education, said the municipality
scored 97.4 percent in the 2013 Basic Education
Certificate Examination.

Source - GNA

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