The Silent Exodus: Why teachers are leaving the country

The recent World Teachers Day celebrations was an opportunity to honour the immense contributions of teachers globally.

Ghana has made some notable progress in increasing its teaching staff, with data from www.statistica.com suggesting that as of 2021, the number of basic school teachers had jumped to 172,800 as a result of improved recruitment efforts following the lifting of the ban of recruitment of teachers by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2018.

However, despite this growth, the country's education sector appears to be under threat. As it grapples with the harsh realities of trained teachers steadily exiting the profession in search of better opportunities abroad.

Poor working conditions, low salaries, and a lack of respect for the profession are some factors that may have contributed to the exit of teachers to seek better employment opportunities abroad.

According to the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), as of October 2023, approximately 10,000 teachers had left the country to work in developed countries, citing financial difficulties, low pay and the perception that teachers are undervalued in the country.

“The mass exodus of our teachers outside the country has not been captured as it is. The number is increasing by the day. As of October, we know of 10,000 who have left, that are accounted for. For those who did not pass through our borders, we could hardly put a figure to it. So, after October, those who have left, we’ve even lost count,” Ashanti Regional Secretary of the National Association of Graduates Teachers, Tindana Baba Joseph, indicated.

Priscilla Aryee, a young teacher who recently completed her licensure exams, is also eyeing opportunities abroad, pointing out a key issue that appears to resonate with most of her colleagues, who are new to the profession.

"In Ghana, people don't value teachers, but we all know that in developed countries, they value teachers," she noted.

But for financial constraints, another teacher, Abubakar Bansi, would have joined his colleagues who recently traveled to the United Kingdom to seek greener pastures.

“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 condition for teachers in this country is not easy", he noted.

The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has also expressed worry over the mass exodus of teachers and other professionals.

“It is without a doubt a disheartening spectacle to bear witness to a substantial exodus of our health and teaching professionals; all departing our shores in pursuit of more promising opportunities abroad. While it is important to acknowledge that human migration is not inherently negative, it is equally crucial to recognise that if this phenomenon remains unchecked, it poses a huge threat to the future of our nature.

“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 said.

Until the conditions of service for teachers are improved in the country, more teachers may continue to abandon the country and render their services abroad, at the least opportunity

JKB/AE

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