One in five districts facing severe teacher shortages —Report

A new report by the Government of Ghana, with support from UNICEF and other partners, has called for urgent reforms in the deployment of teachers across public basic schools to improve learning outcomes.

The Teachers for All (T4A) Ghana Report highlights persistent inequalities in teacher allocation, with some districts facing severe shortages while others have comparatively adequate numbers of teachers.

The report recommends a more equitable and data-driven approach to teacher deployment to ensure that children, particularly those in underserved communities, have access to quality education.

The study found that about 20 per cent of districts are experiencing severe teacher shortages, with the average primary-level pupil-teacher ratio exceeding the Ministry of Education's national target of 35 students to one teacher.

"Teacher deployment affects more than staffing levels; it shapes the quality of learning that children receive every day. When some schools are overcrowded and others have enough teachers, inequalities in education widen, especially for children in rural and underserved communities," UNICEF said in a press release shared on July 13.

The report noted that teacher shortages are more severe in rural areas, which also face significant shortages of female teachers.

It identified the northern regions as among the most affected, with the North-East recording a pupil-teacher ratio of 48 students to one teacher, Savannah 41 students to one teacher and Northern Region 39 students to one teacher.

It further indicated that larger class sizes resulting from unequal teacher distribution have implications for foundational learning, affecting learners' literacy and numeracy outcomes.

The T4A report recommended strengthening evidence-based teacher deployment by using detailed data to identify districts and schools with the greatest shortages.

It also called for improved incentives for difficult-to-staff schools and targeted support for women teachers, including measures to address safety, mobility and gender-related challenges.

"Better deployment can help reduce class sizes, improve foundational learning, and support girls' education by ensuring more women teachers are placed where they are needed most," the report added.