The Director of the Institute for Educational Research and Innovation Studies (IERIS), Prof Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, has called for the development of innovative and pragmatic intervention to attract and retain young people into the teaching profession.
He explained that, the high attrition rate among teachers put the teaching profession in danger of losing its experienced ones.
“We have to do more to attract the young ones to join the profession,” he said.
Prof Anamuah-Mensah made the call at a seminar organised by the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) to mark the celebration of this year’s World Teachers’ Day.
Organised by the Institute for Educational Research and Innovation Studies (IERIS), it was on the theme: “New educational policy reforms”.
Participants were from teacher unions namely Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Union of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Concerned Teachers Association as well as other stakeholders in education.
Prof Anamuah-Mensah said the policy in attracting the youth to enter into teaching should centre on the training, recruitment and condition of service.
He noted that a number of people see teaching as the last resort and said that the dynamics ought to be changed.
Prof Anamuah-Mensah expressed optimism that the new educational curriculum being rolled out would help address the issues regarding the promotion of the teaching profession.
He further said that, the concept now was to attract people who were passionate about teaching and not the profession as a stepping stone.
He called for the provision of resources in the classrooms that the teacher needs to enhance effective teaching and learning.
He indicated that, if teachers have the resources that they need, then they would not think of leaving the classrooms.
Prof Anamuah-Mensah further said that, the emphasis should be on having people who were ready to sacrifice for the profession.
“We want to have a system where our kids will get inspiring teachers,” he said.
He called for the adoption of conscious programme to promote the progression of female teachers, noting that, the number of females at the higher level of teaching was not the best.
In that regard, he urged female teachers to strive and ensure that they progress to handle courses at the higher level of teaching.
The Vice Chancellor of UEW, Rev Father Prof Anthony Afful-Broni, in an address read on his behalf by Dr Stephen Antwi-Danso, expressed the commitment of the university in playing a leading role in the country’s quest to produce teachers for national transformation.
He stated that with the new educational reform in transforming the colleges of education to university colleges, 15 of the colleges of education, had been affiliated to UEW for mentorship.
He further indicated the support of the university in championing efforts geared towards the rapid socioeconomic development of the country.
Rev Prof Afful-Broni noted that the new educational policy being implemented by the government would help address some of the challenges facing the sector.
He said the promotion of quality education was key to national development, saying, “No nation can develop without promoting quality education.”
FROM DAVID O. YARBOI-TETTEH, WINNEBA
