TEACHER RETENTION IN BASIC SCHOOLS OF THEIR HOME COMMUNITIES: IMPLICATION FOR TEACHER DEPLOYMENT POLICY

Abstract

Teachers’ retention continue to remain a challenge, especially in the rural and peri-urban areas of Ghana. The purpose of this study was to examine the various factors that are responsible for teacher retention in their home communities and how these factors are militating against their continuing stay in the profession in the Nanumba South District. A total of seventy (76) respondents were surveyed for this study. This comprises twenty-four teachers from Junior High Schools and fifty-two (52) teachers from the primary schools. The purposive stratified sampling technique was adopted, and data collected with a structured questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study revealed that the motivation for accepting posting to their home community schools included the strong motivation to give back to the communities and the respect they received from community members. It is also established that teachers were willing to continue to stay in their communities because they were respected and motivated by the community’s members. The collaboration teachers received from each other and remedial classes they organize helped to improve teaching and learning. Economic pressure from family members and the lack of interest of parents in education were some reasons that made teachers exited their home communities. It is therefore recommended that the GES should organise orientation fora for communities to embrace their own kind to their home communities as teachers. The teachers should also be encouraged to accept posting to their home communities through specialized awards and incentives. Educational infrastructure should be equitably distributed across the district. There should be a special package for teachers who accept postings to their home communities in rural settings to enable them to develop themselves academically.