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GES Initiates Special Recruitment of Indigenous Teachers to Address Bawku and Pusiga Attrition

8th June 2024

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Ferdinand | EducationGhana | June 08 | GES Initiates Special Recruitment of Indigenous Teachers to Address Bawku and Pusiga Attrition

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has initiated a special recruitment drive for indigenous teachers in Bawku and Pusiga to address high attrition rates caused by security concerns, ensuring quality education in the region.

GES Initiates Special Recruitment of Indigenous Teachers to Address Bawku and Pusiga Attrition

In response to the alarming rate of teacher attrition in Bawku and Pusiga due to ongoing security concerns, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has launched a special recruitment initiative aimed at enlisting qualified indigenous teachers to fill vacancies in public basic schools. This strategic move is intended to curb the continuous exodus of educators from these conflict-prone areas and ensure uninterrupted delivery of quality education.

Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper East Regional Minister, revealed this plan, emphasizing the need to recruit teachers who are natives of the Bawku enclave. The rationale is that local teachers are more likely to remain in the area despite the prevailing security challenges, thereby providing much-needed stability to the educational system.

High Attrition Rates

Dr. Bin Salih highlighted the significant challenge posed by the high attrition rates among both teachers and pupils in Bawku, adversely affecting the quality of education. Attrition, defined as the rate at which individuals leave an organization, has been particularly severe in this region.

Available statistics from the GES show that 495 basic school teachers have fled Bawku Municipality and Pusiga District since 2022. Specifically, Bawku’s Municipal Directorate saw 166 teachers leave in 2022 and 205 in 2023, while Pusiga’s Directorate experienced the departure of 64 teachers in 2022 and 60 in 2023.

Additionally, there has been difficulty in retaining directors to head the educational directorates in these areas.

New Recruitment Strategy

Bright Lawoe, the Regional Director of the GES, explained that the new recruitment strategy was devised after extensive discussions with the GES’s top management to address the worrying situation. The GES is currently compiling a list of interested and qualified local teachers for submission and subsequent action.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

Successful completion of their course of study.
Passing the licensure examination.
Completion of national service.

Financial Clearance and Implementation

Once the candidates meet these conditions, the Minister of Education will expedite the financial clearance process to facilitate their employment. Lawoe expressed confidence that these processes would be finalized in time for the new teachers to commence their roles at the start of the 2024/2025 academic year in September.

This initiative underscores the GES’s commitment to maintaining educational standards in the Bawku enclave by ensuring that schools are adequately staffed despite the security challenges.

By recruiting indigenous teachers who are more likely to stay despite the security issues, the GES aims to stabilize the educational environment in Bawku and Pusiga, ensuring that students in these areas receive the education they deserve.