Concerns over acute shortage of teachers in Ebonyi schools

From Magnus Eze, Enugu

There is acute shortage of teachers in primary schools in Ebonyi State. The teacher/pupil ratio in Ebonyi primary schools is about 1:35. This figure is increasing daily as teachers retire, resign, are incapacitated by illness or die.

Beyond an increasing ratio, the acute shortage of teachers is prevalent in rural schools. The baseline report indicated that some primary schools in the rural communities have fewer than four teachers.

This came to the fore at a recent policy dialogue on improving primary schools in the state. Disturbed by the parlous situation, stakeholders from the executive, the state’s legislature, traditional institution, faith-based organisations and civil society groups brainstormed over the poor state of basic education in the state.

Chairman of the Ebonyi State Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Charles Nkpuma, and former president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Gary Enwo Igariwey, were among dignitaries in attendance.

Chairman of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) in Ebonyi State, Comrade Francis Egwu, blamed the severe shortage of teachers in basic education in the state on the failure of government to replace those who were no longer in service.

He said: “Over several years, teachers that left service, retired or died have not been replaced. The result is overcrowded classrooms and poor learning outcomes by pupils.”

But, the principal secretary to the Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Emmanuel Obasi, stated that the issue was not really the number of teachers but the allocation of the teachers to urban and rural schools. 

“Ebonyi has an acceptable pupil-to-teacher ratio, the challenge is the allocation of these teachers to urban and rural schools. While some schools have more than enough teachers, others are grossly understaffed,” he explained. 

Daily Sun learnt that the policy dialogue was convened to discuss issues arising from a baseline assessment of primary schools in the state. It was organised by the USAID State Accountability, Effectiveness and Transparency in Ebonyi in collaboration with the State Universal Basic Education Board and a non-governmental organisation, Technology for Transformative Development Foundation (TTD).

In his remarks, Deputy Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Kingsley Ikoro, lauded Governor David Umahi for declaring a state of emergency in education in the state. According to him, what is required is a basic education sector strategy that sets clear targets for the ambition of the state on education.

Such a road map, he explained, “Should have clear indicators for measuring success in its implementation, and I can assure you that the Ebonyi State House of Assembly will back this up with increased funding to the education sector.”

The state’s head of service, Dr. Ritamary Okoro, agreed with the key issues identified in the baseline assessment. These issues include a recommendation to prioritize the recruitment of teachers on a continuous basis, the need to provide learning materials, and the importance of having a state basic education strategy.

However, Okoro emphasised the importance of teacher supervision, pointing out that there was corruption in the supervisory system.

She said: “We must be courageous enough to address the challenges of corruption in teacher supervision. When the integrity of school supervisors is compromised, no credible monitoring of schools can take place.”

Highlighting the importance of school supervision, the traditional ruler of Amagu Ikwo Autonomous Community, Eze Dominic Alo, called for the involvement of the traditional institution in monitoring schools.

The traditional ruler disclosed that it was part of his routine to visit schools in his domain, and encouraged the state government to really involve communities in holding teachers to account, and ensuring the quality of learning outcomes.

The USAID project had in June 2022, carried out a baseline assessment of 327 primary schools in the state and identified key issues that must be urgently addressed.

Presenting a summary of the baseline assessment, executive director of TTD, Ewah Eleri, identified such issues to include teacher recruitment, school supervision, the provision of learning materials and the need for a basic education strategy in Ebonyi State. The project was implemented in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board.