Attracting and retaining rural teachers in Ghana: the premise and promise of a district sponsorship scheme

Abstract

Recruiting and retaining qualified teachers for schools in rural communities is both an issue and a problem in many countries. The very nature of rural communities and perceptions of teaching in such environments tend to discourage qualified experienced and new teachers from taking appointments there. Education jurisdictions, therefore, use various strategies either to compel or entice candidates to accept rural teaching appointments. This paper describes a district sponsorship scheme to attract candidates for teacher training and subsequent appointment in rural schools in Ghana. The paper describes how the scheme operates and assesses its potential to attract and retain teachers, using data obtained through analysis of documents, interviews with key education officers and focus group with teachers. Though the district sponsorship scheme is not new in many education jurisdictions, it is the first of its kind in Ghana. Suggestions for improving the scheme’s effectiveness are offered, drawing attention to the need to complement financial incentives with non-monetary measures in rural teacher recruitment and retention policies.