The Realities of Teacher Distribution in Primary and Junior High Schools in Ghana: Experiences of Rural Areas in Sekyere Central District

Abstract

The study critically examined teacher distribution in Ghana's Primary and Junior High Schools in Sekyere Central District, in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Data were gathered from the Education Monitoring Information Systems (EMIS) of the District Education Office, Nsuta, for analysis. Evidence from rural communities regarding teacher deployment for the 2021 academic year in 10 rural Primary Schools and 5 Junior High Schools depicted a gloomy picture, showing uneven teacher deployment to areas where their services were most needed. There was a significant teacher deficit in the rural communities, raising concerns that quality and equitable education cannot be achieved if policymakers fail to provide incentive packages for rural teachers. The paper recommends that the conditions of service for rural teachers should differ from those of their urban counterparts. Doing so would improve teacher manpower utilization and retention in rural communities.