Keta, June 5, GNA - As a measure to meet the increasing demand for teachers and also reverse the alarming rate at which teachers vacate their posts, the Keta District Assembly says it would as from next academic year sponsor more trainee teachers. These teachers would be bonded to return to the district on successful completion of their training to teach for a minimum of three years in any part of the district.

The Keta District Chief Executive, Mr Edward Ahiabor, announced this at a ceremony to mark the 2003-04 Keta District Best Teacher-Worker award Day celebration held at the Keta Secondary School grounds. Mr Ahiabor confirmed the decision by the district assembly to increase the sponsorship scheme from 60 trainee teachers in the year 2004 to 85 this academic session, stressing that the package would benefit mostly poor and needy students.

Mr Ahiabor advised the would-be beneficiaries of the package to accept postings to any part of the district, particularly rural and deprived areas where their services would be more needed. The out-going Keta District Director of Education, Mr Simon Dewortor, intimated that the greatest challenge facing the district was shortage of teaching staff to fill vacancies in the rural areas. He estimated that over 250 teachers would be needed to fill the vacancies created in schools located in deprived areas of the district.