Pru East battles 376-teacher deficit and classroom shortfall despite new projects

Pru East District is facing a significant challenge with 376 teachers lacking across various education levels and inadequate classroom infrastructure. Despite interventions from local stakeholders, the issue threatens to impede the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to provide inclusive and equitable quality education.

The District Director of Education, Sylvester Tabiasi-Naa, emphasized that the teacher deficit is the most pressing concern, with 376 teachers missing in KG, primary, and junior high schools. In some instances, classes are being held under trees, leaving pupils without proper learning facilities. The shortfall extends to classrooms themselves, with 19 schools having classes under trees, except for one junior high school that has no building at all.

The district also suffers from a shortage of nearly 3,000 classroom seats. To address the issue, the Member of Parliament has supported the recruitment of 11 local volunteers, with some already actively teaching. The District Chief Executive, Dauda Abdul-Nasir, acknowledged the deficits and highlighted ongoing projects, including the construction of six classroom blocks in 2025 and three more planned for 2026.

The Member of Parliament is also contributing to the construction effort. The Bono East Regional Minister, Francis Owusu Antwi, inspected a recently completed block at Al-Iman Islamic School, praising the quality of work and the facility's ability to improve safety and health conditions for pupils and teachers.