GES CONFIRMS WORLD BANK REPORT ON TEACHERS ABSENTEEISM

The Deputy Director of the Ghana Education Service, Stephen Adu says teacher absenteeism in the country is high, especially in the rural areas.
He explains that some teachers use funerals, change in weather conditions, and distance as excuses for not going to school.
Stephen Adu was speaking to a World Bank Report, which said most Ghanaian primary school teachers spend just 76 days out of the 196 days needed to engage pupils in direct learning activities.
The World Bank Report indicated that only 109 school days out of 197 are fully operational as teachers spent other days engaged in activities such as collecting salaries, attending funerals, and travelling long distances to their schools.
Stephen Adu stresses that teachers are not the only ones to be blamed but some students also fail to report to the classroom even when teachers are present.
He attributed the high cases of teacher absenteeism to the lack of resources and lack of strict supervision.

Stephen Adu tells Adom news that the service is seeking measures to resolve the situation.
He says GES is collaborating with the government to give additional allowances to teachers in the rural areas to encourage them to stay in the classroom.
Mr. Adu says GES is reconsidering expanding the number of hours students spend in the classroom so that they will have enough time for their studies.