Retaining the Graduate Teacher in the Ghana Education Service

Abstract

Teacher retention/attrition rates are difficult to estimate (Memku CIE, 2000, 50 P.). An empirical data shows that intake into the University College of Education-Winneba (UCEW) programme to upgrade certificate ‘A’ teachers has increased dramatically from about 300 per year in the early 1990s to 2,300 in 1999. These teachers study full-time and therefore create vacancies in the schools. Most of these teachers do not return to the teaching service after completing their courses and those who come back quit after a year or two to join other sectors therefore increase teacher attrition and decrease teacher retention rate. This research investigates working conditions and factors leading to decreasing retention rate of graduate teachers and how they might be better induced to stay in the Ghana Education Service. Three hundred (300) graduates were respondents; two hundred and fifty (250) being graduate teachers in active service and fifty (50) being graduate teachers who have left the GES. Sampling techniques used were purposive and non-purposive. Purposive because NAGRAT, GNAT and EDUCATION officers with valid information were targeted and non-purposive because stratified sampling method was chosen to cater for each stratum done by means of simple random sampling method (Twumasi, 2001). Data was collected through questionnaires, interviews and observations. The respondents indicated that high graduate teacher attrition/retention rate is dependent on the lack of equitable conditions of service and inadequate motivation. Recommendations which emerged from the research were that, there should be total rewards system put in place to improve general working conditions of service including salary increment of graduate teachers in order to be able to retain them.