WN/R: Teacher shortage forces Keteboi residents to pay salaries in public school

Residents of Emieso in the Keteboi Electoral Area of the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality in the Western North Region have been forced to contribute money to pay teachers’ salaries at their local public school due to a severe shortage of teaching staff.

The situation at Emieso Basic School has become a major concern for parents and community members, who say the shortage of teachers is negatively affecting teaching and learning in the area.

According to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), the school is operating with inadequate teaching staff, forcing some teachers to handle multiple classes at the same time.

The challenge reflects a broader problem affecting many cocoa-growing communities across the Western North and Ashanti Regions, where schools expected to have adequate staff are functioning with only a few teachers.

Speaking to Lawson News during a PTA meeting at the school, PTA Chairman Adam Gariba said residents had no option but to raise funds to hire and pay additional teachers to ensure their children continue to receive an education.

He explained that, aside from the teacher shortage, the school is also facing infrastructure challenges, including inadequate chairs and tables for pupils, making the learning environment difficult.

Mr. Gariba appealed to the Ghana Education Service, the Municipal Assembly, and the Ministry of Education to urgently intervene by posting more teachers to the school and providing the needed furniture to improve teaching and learning.

Community members who attended the meeting also appealed to the government to address the situation to secure a better future for their children.

By: Samuel Sarkodie