New Policies and Curriculum without a well resourced and motivated teacher meaningless – Divine Kpe

An Educator and a fellow at Africa Education Watch, Divine Kpe has indicated, that new educational policies and curriculum without a well resourced and motivated teacher would make no impact in the lives of the Learners.

Devine made this revelation in a panel discussion on THE FORUM show hosted by Ellis Ferdinand on Summer Radio, Saturday, February 6, 2021, on the theme ”State of the Pre-Tertiary Teaching Profession in Ghana”.

According to him, attention must always be given to the teacher as an influencer in the learning outcomes of learners.

Check This Out:  Teachers’ Upgrading Challenges being worked on – GNAT assures

He argued that when there is more interest in the general well being of the learners without a corresponding recognition given to teachers, the teachers may not be able to live up to expectation.

He indicated the teachers must be given the needed motivation in the form of tools for working, incentives, training and other means of preparing the teacher for successful classroom work.

Check This Out:   JUST IN: Private Schools being charged illegal GES Registration Fee of GH¢200 for PPEs

Teacher attrition

Divine added that the rate of increase in teacher attrition at the pre-tertiary level over the years has been due to enormous challenges being faced by the teachers.

He indicated that teacher attrition in 2001 which was 2% has now hit a 4%  rate.

He indicated that using data of teachers from the world teachers status index, Ghanaian teachers were ranked second from the bottom, an indication the country has not done so well in raising the status of the teachers high.

He said, when the status of the teacher is affected, it affects every other aspect of the teaching and learning environment.

Check This Out: Factors to consider during Placement of students into SHS in Ghana using CSSPS

He opines that a well respected and highly raised status of the teacher could have reflected in the status index.

He said the rate of increase of the attrition rate of teachers could be attributed to poor working conditions, low remunerations, job dissatisfaction, low esteem, and unavailability of working tools in the class environment.

Teacher attrition is a component of teacher turnover (i.e., changes in teacher status from year to year). Teacher turnover may include teachers exiting the profession, but may also include teachers who change fields (i.e., special education to general education) or schools.

Effect on Learners’ Outcome

According to him, learners’ inability to grasp concepts easily, read, understand and interpret simple sentences was as a result of the level of resourced teachers they may have had.

He opined that a well-resourced teacher will be able to teach the learners very well with more elaborated concepts to be able to make meaning out of the teaching and learning process.

He called on the Ghaha Education Service (GES) to give more attention to the quality of teachers they employ into the service as well the quality of resources given to them to be able to successfully deliver.

Challenges with Misconceptions

Divine added, that the inability of the teachers themselves exposing the positivities in the work has made the public buy into certain misconceptions about the teachers which may or may not be true.

He called on the teachers to begin exhibiting attitudes that could defeat certain negative misconceptions about the teaching profession in Ghana.