Latest figures from the Education Ministry indicate that teacher absenteeism has reduced by 2% for the first half of 2016. After the last survey, it emerged that absenteeism dropped from 9% to 7%.

Deputy Minister of Education, Alex Kyeremeh who spoke to TV3 has indicated plans to institute incentives for teachers to reduce absenteeism to zero percent before the end of this year.

Teacher absenteeism which was high particularly in deprived communities stood at 27% in 2009. The then minister of education, Betty Mould Iddrisu intended to institute a motivational package for the teachers to curb the incidence but she was unable to implement the idea because she was reshuffled.

The current Minister of Education, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman then initiated a fight against the canker. The figure reduced to 19% in 2013 and subsequently to 12% in 2015.

Government said it had made more gains in further declining teacher absenteeism which has also been blamed largely for the poor results of pupils across the country.

Deputy ministery of education alex kyeremeh assured to provide more incentives to retain the teachers in the classroom adding that “going forward we would even try to mobilize motorbikes for such teachers just to entice them to accept postings.

“Another major issue is that they may not have to serve a certain number of years before they get the opportunity to further their education.”

The ministry again cited the Northern, Upper West and Upper East regions as having high figures in teacher absenteeism indicating that at places where “there are markets the people prefer to go to market than come to the classroom.

“In regions where there are large communities for farming, they prefer to even use the children on the farms rather than to come to school.”

Meanwhile a workshop has been organised with stakeholders to fashion out measures deal with the problem.

By 3news.com|Ghana
Twitter: @3newsgh