Wa, Sept 6, GNA - The Ghana Association of Teachers of English on Wednesday attributed the deteriorating knowledge of English language in schools to the recruitment of teachers of other subjects to teach the subject as a result of the inadequate supply of specialized teachers. There are about 3,000 vacancies for English teachers in second cycle schools throughout the country that needed to be filled.

A request for 716 teachers for the subject last year by senior secondary schools could not be met because the country produced 167 graduate teachers in that category during that period.

Mr Mathew Doh, Acting National President of the association, said this at Wa at the opening of the 10th annual conference of the association that was attended by delegates from all regions.

The association, which was formed 10 years ago, meets annually to deliberate on issues affecting the welfare of members and evolve ways of promoting the quality of teaching and learning of the subject. Mr Doh expressed regret that while each school needed about six well trained and adequately prepared English Language teachers, most of them had one such teacher.

The poor usage of English Language by students, he said, was impacting negatively on their performance in other subjects. On the new reforms in education, he said these reforms could not succeed if the morale of teachers was not also reformed and teachers must be well motivated and provided with the right environment to give off their best.

Mr George Hikah Benson, Upper West Regional Minister, said in a speech read on his behalf that government was aware of the numerous challenges teachers faced in terms of salaries and other conditions of service and assured them that the Fair Wages Commission would address some of them.

He said the education reforms would deal with the setbacks of previous reforms and ensure an equitable education system that would offer opportunities for all Ghanaians and produce school leavers who could contribute effectively towards national development.

Mr Samuel Bannaman-Mensah, Director-General of the Ghana Education Service in an address read on his behalf, appealed to the association to design courses for non-specialized English teachers who had been recruited to teach the subject.