Everyone hears about healthcare staff shortages, but there is a growing issue in the education sector.

If given the option, at least eight out of ten trained teachers would leave Ghana and work elsewhere.

For the majority of these teachers, the terrible working conditions and contempt for the teaching profession in Ghana force them to relocate to richer nations in search of higher salaries.

Ibrahim Abubakar has been studying the consequences of Ghana’s large teacher departure.

As of October 2023, up to 10,000 instructors had departed the nation for wealthy countries.

According to the National Teaching Council, this figure might be higher.

“The mass exodus of our teachers from the country has not been adequately documented.” The figure is growing by the day. As of October, we had accounted for 10,000 people who had gone. We couldn’t put a number on those who did not travel through our borders.

“So after October, those who have left, we’ve even lost count,” Tindana Baba Joseph, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the National Association of Graduate Teachers, stated.

Absent financial restraints, Abubakar Bansi would have followed his colleagues who recently travelled to the United Kingdom to teach.

The father of three has been a teacher for almost two decades and presently teaches at the Armed Forces Senior High Technical in Kumasi.

“They’re complaining that we (teachers) are many, what’s the worry when some of us are leaving? As I stand here, if not because of money, I would’ve gone too because if I should go, I would be able to afford quality education for my children. The living conditions for teachers in this country are not easy. ”

Priscilla Afriyie went for a reference letter to help in her procedure of travelling overseas a few weeks after finishing her licence examinations.

The 25-year-old believes that the teaching profession is unappreciated in Ghana.

“People in Ghana do not value teachers, but we all know that developed countries do.” So why should I stay when better chances are available outside?”She inquired.

Despite Ghana’s teacher shortage, most certified teachers intend to migrate overseas in pursuit of better working circumstances.

Firdaus Ahmed is in her second year as a teacher trainee, but she has already decided to leave the country after she finishes.

To her, the Ghanaian teacher’s working conditions are insufficiently inspiring and tempting.

“If I have a chance, I will not hesitate to leave.” “There are a lot of teachers, so my departure will not cause anything to fall short.”

The high attrition rate in the education sector jeopardises the nation’s education and growth.

“You have highly qualified teachers leaving the shores.” Over time, instructors who have been at the grassroots level have grown to comprehend the annoyances. Aside from academic work, the morals of our pupils today, what we need to teach, and what methods to apply to control certain behaviours are all important considerations.

“Now, the vast majority of these teachers are fleeing the country.” When this occurs, education suffers as a result.

“The conditions are just not favourable, and the teacher today is worse off than before,” Atindana Baba remarked.

The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II raised concern over the rapid flight of teachers and nurses from Ghana during a recent graduation ceremony at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

“It is undeniably disheartening to witness a significant exodus of our health and education professionals, all of whom are leaving our shores in search of more promising opportunities abroad.” While it is vital to recognise that human migration is not necessarily bad, it is also critical to recognise that if this phenomena continues unabated, it poses a significant threat to our species’ destiny.

“We must collectively work to transform our country into an enticing and compelling destination for our youth; a place where they have unshaken faith in their capacity to thrive and succeed,” he went on to say.

For individuals in the education sector, unless the government implements the necessary measures to improve teachers’ working conditions, more and more will leave the nation and seek employment elsewhere.