The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) and USAID have entered into an agreement with the Ghana Education Service (GES) to recruit 260 teachers to teach in some selected deprived communities at the cost of $75 million.
The project, which is expected to last for two years, will cover 65 deprived communities, including the Afram Plains, Abetifi, Awutu Senya and Techiman districts.
The Chief Executive of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Mr Martin Eson-Benjamin, disclosed this during a signing ceremony at the Ministry of Education and said, “this will address the problem of the shortage of teachers in the country.”
Mr Eson-Benjamin said MiDA will be working closely with USAID and GES to execute the project which is one key component of the Ghana Millennium Challenge Account Programme.
He said the prorgramme seeks to recruit unqualified individuals, who are prepared to be trained by the International Foundation for Education and Self-help (IFESH), to teach in schools which lack the requisite number of teachers.
According to the Country Director of IFESH, Mr Kwesi Dzidzienyo said the teachers will be recruited with the help of the GES for a two-year training course.
The acting Country Driector of USAID, Mr David Atteberry, said as a result of the partnership, USAID will collaborate with local officials in the recruitment, training and supervision of community teachers under the programme to ensure effective teaching at the basic level.
The Director, Basic Education, Mr Stephen Adu, expressed appreciation to MiDA and USAID, saying that the programme will go a long way to address the challenges of teacher deployment to rural communities.
He said the programme will also develop competent and dedicated teachers at the basic level and urged teachers to accept postings to rural communities.
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