Accra-Ghana, Oct. 06, GNA – Dr Christian Addai-Poku, Registrar, National Teaching Council (NTC), says the increasing rate at which teachers are moving out of the country for ‘greener pastures’ threatens the future of education and national development.
He, therefore, appealed to the government and other stakeholders to come up with interventions to curb the situation.
Dr Addai-Poku said this on the first day of a two-day symposium in Accra.
The symposium brought together educationists, academicians and policymakers to discuss education sector policy issues.
The Registrar said early this year more than 16,000 Ghanaian teachers had applied to the Department of Education in the United Kingdom (UK) for employment.
He said by June 13, 2023, 10,000 of the applicants with Ghana Teacher Licenses had been certified to work in the UK without any further assessment, qualified teacher status test, by the UK government.
The Registrar said, though, a large number of qualified teachers graduated each year, the high attrition created shortage yearly across the country.
He said the NTC would continue to collaborate with local and international agencies to enhance the training and professionalism of the Ghanaian teacher.
Madam Gifty Twum Ampofo, a Deputy Minister for Education, said teachers were the architects of the collective future, shaping the minds of the younger ones, fostering critical thinking, and instilling values and attitudes that transcend generations.
“In a world that is rapidly advancing in its quest for knowledge acquisition, where it requires constant verification and authentication of information before learners can consume it, the role of teachers has never been more critical.
“Let’s join the National Teaching Council and the Ministry to deal with the teacher shortage, acknowledging the fact that reversing the teacher shortage is a long-term endeavour that requires collaboration between governments, educational institutions, civil society, and private sector,” she said.
Professor Andy Ofori-Birikorang, a former Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, said the role of teachers in the nation’s development agenda could not be underestimated.
“Through the training teachers give to our children and, sometimes adults, they lay the foundation and erect on that foundation the progressive and prosperous society we yearn for,” he said.
