Twifo Baakondidi (C/R), May 29, GNA – Five farming communities in the Twifo-Heman-Lower Denkyira district on Wednesday appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES), to send more teachers to the D/C JSS, at Baakondidi, the only school serving them, to curb the rate of school dropouts.
The communities are Baakondidi, Nyame Bekyere, Last Stop, Tamale and Tafradjoa.
The appeal was made through Mr Abraham Odoom, the District Chief Executive (DCE), at a forum organised by the communities in his honour at Baakondidi.
Nana Kofi Issa, chief of Baakondidi and spokesman for the communities, told the DCE that only one teacher was handling classes at the school and that this has affected the overall academic performance and resulted in the withdrawal of many pupils.
He said although the communities provided accommodation for teachers posted to the school, “they (teachers) just come to inspect the place and never turn up again”.
He expressed concern that the situation has also resulted in a high unemployment rate among the youth, since they have no proper educational backgrounds to qualify for any meaningful employment.
Mr Samuel Boafo, Circuit Supervisor for the area, attributed the inadequate number of teachers in such schools, to an embargo placed on the recruitment of teachers.
Mr Boafo said the embargo has compelled the district directorate of education to detail all circuit supervisors to go back to classrooms until the recruitment situation improved.
On his part, the DCE promised to rehabilitate the teachers quarters at Baakondidi to create enabling environment for quality teaching and learning.
He however, urged them to support the few teachers who have sacrificed to stay to teach.
When contacted, Mr Ernest Brown, Assistant Director, Human Resource Management and Development, at the Central Regional directorate of the GES, explained that although there had been an embargo on the recruitment of teachers, more teachers were now being posted to the districts.
He expressed the hope that the situation at the Baakondidi JSS would improve. 29 May 04
Source: GhanaWeb
