The Member of Parliament for Akatsi North Constituency, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, has expressed dissatisfaction with the approval granted by the Minister for Finance for the recruitment of only 7,000 teachers across the country.
According to the MP, the number is inadequate given the growing shortage of teachers at the basic school level nationwide.
Speaking in an interview with Adom News during the commissioning of some legacy projects in the Akatsi North District, Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe said authorities are pushing for the recruitment figure to be increased significantly.
“We are fighting hard and we want the number to be doubled because estimates show that about one million school children at the basic level are lacking teachers,” he stated.
The lawmaker stressed that the shortage of teachers continues to affect effective teaching and learning in many communities, especially in deprived areas.
Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe also disclosed that discussions have been held with the Ghana Education Trust Fund to allocate a dedicated budget line next year for the rehabilitation and maintenance of school infrastructure across the country.
According to him, attention has often been focused on constructing new classroom blocks while existing educational facilities continue to deteriorate without proper maintenance.
“We only build new ones and once they start deteriorating, nobody cares about them. So we are insisting that from next year there should be a dedicated budget line for the renovation of classrooms,” he noted.
He further explained that the proposed intervention would ensure funds are readily available to respond to emergencies such as rainstorms that damage school buildings.
“Where there is a rainstorm and the roof is blown off, money should be available immediately to repair them. I think efforts are being made to ensure that the maintenance culture is upheld,” he added.
The projects were commissioned in collaboration with the MP, Volta Regional Minister James Gunu, and the District Chief Executive for Akatsi North, Bless Katamani.
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