High Teacher Absenteeism Hhindering Inclusive Education in Ghana-World Bank

Most Ghanaian primary school teachers spend just 76 days out of the 196 days needed to engage pupils in direct learning activities, according to a World Bank study. The study 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.

Dr Leslie Casely-Hayford, Social Development Consultant of Associates for Change, was highlighting on the World Bank (2010) Report entitled: Education in Ghana, Improving Equity, Efficiency and Accountability, released over the last few months, in Tamale.Dr Casely-Hayford also shared some findings of a recent research study conducted by Associates for Change, a research and consulting firm based in Ghana.

The study named: “Inclusive Education in Ghana; a look at policy and practice in Northern Ghana”, investigated the best practices and sought to identify the most effective programmes promoting inclusive education in Ghana. She said one of the major challenges to inclusive education in Ghana was inefficiency in the nation’s Basic Education system based mainly on the inequitable teacher deployment across the country.

Dr Casely-Hayford said the study findings revealed that there was lack of funding for special needs, and girl child education in Ghana as well as limited “time on task” by teachers across primary schools particularly in rural deprived areas of the country.Dr Casely-Hayford said some of the challenges highlighted in the study were the high dropout rates and out of school child phenomena which persisted and was still visible in many districts and communities due to poverty, poor quality education and some negative socio cultural practices such as early marriage, fosterage and teenage pregnancy. She also said one of the challenges facing the inclusive classroom was inadequate Teaching and Learning Materials for special learners as well as significant barriers to access to formal primary education due to ‘no schools’ within a five kilometre radius.