Dambai, Jan. 28, GNA - The newly created Krachi-East District has a shortfall of 100 teachers with many more pursuing release documents to leave.

Mr Gabriel Kploanyi, District Director of Education, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during the First Ordinary Meeting of the Assembly on Monday.

He attributed the high attrition rate and teacher's refusal to accept postings to the District to the "peculiar challenges posed by the environment there".

The District has 25 Kindergartens (KG) with a total enrolment of 1,994, 52 primary schools with a population of 6,467 and 15 junior secondary schools (JSS) with an enrolment of 1,685 pupils. There are seven trained teachers and 40 attendants in the KG, 159 trained and 26 pupil teachers in primary schools and 78 trained and two pupil teachers in the JSS.

Mr Kploanyi said it was sad that while pupils enrolments were rising as a result of the World Bank supported enrolment drive, teachers were in a queue to leave the District.

He said but for the yearly intake of 50 teacher trainees on sponsorship by the Krachi District Assembly for posting to the area the situation would have been worse.

The District Director said the school dropout rate of girls in the District was disturbing and attributed it to the practice of early marriage of girls in the area.

"There is gender parity among beginners but as you move higher, especially at the Junior Secondary School (JSS) level, the number of girls dwindle as they are given out into marriage", Mr Kploanyi lamented.

"School structure are also deplorable; many are ramshackle sheds with no furniture for teachers and pupils, and as for accommodation for teachers, it is nothing to write home about", he said. Mr Kploanyi said there was general lack of community interest in the affairs of schools.

He called for motivation for teachers in the area to keep them at post and to prevent the yearly exodus of teachers from the District. Mr Kploanyi made a special appeal to stakeholders in education in Krachi East District to recognise and appreciate the role of teachers. "Let the community members accord them the due respect and extend to them the friendly reception thereby making them feel at home," he stated. 28 Jan. 05