More than 34 communities within the Manso Keniago enclave in the Amansie South District are facing a critical shortage of teachers, a situation that is severely affecting teaching and learning across the area.
Communities including Manso Aboaso, Nyamebekyere, Manso Esumenya, Gyegyetereso and Subrinso are among those struggling with inadequate staffing in their schools.
Residents and education stakeholders fear the situation could have long-term consequences for the academic development of hundreds of children.
The challenge is compounded by the absence of a substantive District Director of Education for Amansie South. Educational administration in the district is currently being overseen by the District Director of Education for Amansie West, raising concerns about effective supervision and the timely deployment of teachers to underserved communities.
A visit to some of the affected schools revealed the extent of the crisis. While a few schools have as many as four teachers, others operate with only two or three.
In some cases, a single teacher is responsible for handling multiple classes, while certain schools reportedly have no teacher at all.
At Manso Esumenya, the only school serving the community was found closed during school hours because no teacher was present.
The school caters for pupils from kindergarten to Primary Three, forcing children who wish to continue their education beyond that level to travel to Aboaso for further schooling.
Residents say the shortage frequently leaves pupils without lessons for days, affecting learning outcomes and increasing the risk of school dropouts.
The situation is equally challenging at Aboaso, where a primary school with more than 400 pupils is being managed by only four teachers.
The shortage has led to the combining of classes, making effective teaching difficult.
Headmaster Yakubu Braimah appealed for urgent government intervention, explaining that teachers are overstretched and lack the resources needed to provide quality education.
He also highlighted the absence of computers for ICT lessons as another major challenge.
At the local Junior High School, four teachers are responsible for teaching nine subjects, a situation authorities say is affecting students’ preparation for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The Chief of Keniago described the situation as widespread across the enclave and called for immediate action.
He revealed that communities have sometimes hired additional teachers using their own limited resources, but the arrangement is unsustainable.
The chief further disclosed that the community is willing to provide land for the establishment of a teacher training college to help address the persistent shortage.
Residents and local leaders are urging the government and the Ghana Education Service to deploy more teachers to the area to ensure children have access to quality basic education.
