The Executive Director for Africa Education Watch has expressed deep concerns over Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s proposal to make the National Service Scheme (NSS) voluntary rather than compulsory.
The renowned education activist argued that the current framework of the NSS, which mandates that graduates participate in national service, has been a cornerstone in addressing teacher deficits across the country.
These individuals Mr Asare noted play a crucial role in staffing basic school classrooms, particularly in rural areas where licensed teachers are often reluctant to accept postings.
Mr Asare further indicated that without the presence of these National Service Scheme personnel, tens of thousands of basic school classrooms would face a severe shortage of teachers.
This according to him would exacerbate the already dire teacher deficit situation in many deprived districts, further impeding children’s access to Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE).
“There are currently 182,900 NSS personnel working across Ghana, of which 35% are in the education sector. That’s some 63,000 graduates. Without them, tens of thousands of basic school classrooms would be without teachers, especially in rural communities where most licensed teachers refuse postings. These are graduates, not only teacher graduates”.
Kofi Asare, Africa Education Watch Executive Director
Ministry of Education Data on Teacher Defeicits
Citing a recent Ministry of Education data, Mr Asare highlighted the severity of the situation, arguing that in districts such as Bunkorugu-Nakpanduri in the North-East Region, Central Gonja in the Savannah Region, and Tatale Sanguli in the Northern Region, teacher deficits are alarmingly high.
He stated that the teacher deficit ratio in these districts ranges from 60% to 86% at the kindergarten and primary levels, adding that Central Gonja recorded the highest deficit at 86% for kindergarten.
Moreover, the Executive Director of the education think-tank group, Africa Education Watch underscored the consequences of making NSS voluntary, disclosing that Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) conducted last year at the University of Ghana (UG) and NSS Headquarters indicate that only 3 out of 10 graduates would likely opt for voluntary NSS.
This ratio he noted could further decline depending on the level of deprivation in the host community, indicating a potential drastic reduction in the number of graduates willing to serve in these critical areas.
Mr Asare therefore posited that, while the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s proposal to scrap the compulsory National Service Scheme aims to provide graduates with the opportunity to transition directly into the workforce, the proposal spells a dire potential impact on education delivery, especially in the most deprived regions of Ghana.
He emphasized that the Northern Region, North-East Region, and Savannah Region, that are already struggling with the highest ratios of out-of-school children (33%-43% compared to the 9% national average), could see these figures worsen.
This disparity according to him is primarily attributed to the acute teacher deficits and the lack of public basic schools in many underserved communities in these regions.
In a direct call for action, Mr Asare urged the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and his Campaign Team to consider measures that can mitigate the foreseen impact of his proposal.
These measures, he suggested could include targeted incentives for licensed teachers to accept postings in rural areas, investment in distance learning technologies to support remote education, and strengthening partnerships with non-governmental organizations to supplement educational resources and personnel.
The Vice President and the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia earlier pledged to scrap national service for all Ghanaians if elected President during the December polls.
Dr. Bawumia, providing his bold solutions to fix Ghana, noted during his address today at UPSA-Ghana, that his government will make national service a choice for every student.
This, he believes, is one of the key tools to accelerate the development of Ghana.
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