THE UNTOLD STRUGGLES OF THE GHANAIAN TEACHER IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

THE UNTOLD STRUGGLES OF THE GHANAIAN TEACHER IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

Authored by : Honeybrowne Okaakyire, B.Ed.

When you walk into any classroom across Ghana, you will see the heartbeat of the nation standing before eager pupils; the teacher. Teachers are often described as the backbone of society because every profession begins with their guidance. I remember very well that, one of my lecturers said teachers are walking encyclopedias in their classroom environment. Yet behind the chalk and whiteboard markers lies a hidden story of hardship and sacrifice. In government schools, many teachers endure struggles that often go unnoticed, even though they dedicate their lives to shaping the future of the country. Let’s explore some of these pressing challenges they face daily.

1. DELAYED SALARIES: A WORRYING PLIGHT FOR NEWLY RECRUITED TEACHERS 

This week, I felt deeply troubled as newly recruited teachers hit the streets to demand their unpaid salaries. These teachers have been in the classroom since September 2024, yet here we are in September 2025, and they have still not received a single month’s pay. For a whole year, their dedication has been rewarded with silence. What worries me most is the impact on education. A teacher who is hungry, indebted, and struggling to survive cannot give their best to the students. Some borrow endlessly, others abandon their posts, and in the end, it is the children who suffer. Teachers should not have to demonstrate before being paid for work already done. Paying them promptly is not a favour; it is their right.

2. LOW SALARIES AND POOR CONDITIONS OF SERVICES : Teachers in government schools often receive salaries that can barely sustain them. A teacher in Accra shared, “By the time I pay rent and transportation, I have almost nothing left. I sometimes borrow just to buy food.” Society assumes teachers are financially secure, but the reality is very different.

3. DELAYED ALLOWANCES AND SALARIES : Perhaps one of the most frustrating experiences is teaching for months without pay. For example, some teachers who were recruited in December last year are yet to receive their first salary. One of them lamented, “I teach every day like everyone else, but I go home with an empty pocket. How do they expect us to survive?” Such delays demoralize teachers and push many into debt.

4. LACK OF TEACHING AND LEARNING MATERIALS (TLMs) : In many schools, teachers have to improvise because there are no textbooks, charts, or science kits. A science teacher in the Eastern Region recalled, “When I wanted to teach about the human heart, I had no model or chart. I had to sketch it on the chalkboard. How can pupils really understand without seeing it?” Many teachers even buy manila cards, markers, and teaching aids with their own money.

5. OVERCROWDED CLASSROOMS : It is common to find a single teacher handling 70–100 pupils. Imagine one teacher marking over 100 exercise books after school. A teacher in Kumasi described her struggle: “I teach 87 pupils in one class. By the time I finish marking their work, it’s almost midnight, yet I must prepare notes for the next day.” Overcrowding drains teachers physically and mentally.

6. TRANSFER AND POSTING CHALLENGES : Transfers within the Ghana Education Service are often slow and stressful. Some teachers are posted to remote villages without proper accommodation or electricity. A young teacher posted to Northern Ghana shared, “I walk four kilometers every morning to school. I applied for transfer to join my family in Kumasi two years ago, but I am still here.”

7. MATERNITY LEAVE ISSUES : Female teachers face difficulties with maternity leave. Though they are entitled to three months, many say it is not enough for proper childcare. Some return to find their classes overcrowded and with no relief teacher to cover the period they were away. This creates both physical and emotional stress for them.

8. INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE : Many schools still operate under trees or in dilapidated structures. During the rainy season, teachers and pupils alike are forced to abandon lessons. One teacher in Volta Region recalled, “Whenever it rains, we all pack our books and huddle in a corner. Sometimes we even send the children home.” Such conditions make effective teaching nearly impossible.

9. PRESSURE OF CURRICULUM Changes : Curriculum reforms often come abruptly, with little training or resources. When the new curriculum was introduced in 2019, many teachers had no textbooks. A headteacher admitted, “We were teaching with our own handwritten notes because the books were not ready, yet parents expected us to perform miracles.”

10. LACK OF RESPECT AND RECOGNITION : Sadly, teachers are often mocked for being “poor” despite their crucial role in society. One teacher sighed, “Parents expect us to train their children, but when it comes to respect, we are at the bottom of the ladder. Nobody remembers we prepared the doctors and engineers.” This lack of recognition lowers morale.

11. EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL STRESS : Teachers act as more than instructors; they become mentors, counselors, and sometimes parents. In deprived areas, some teachers even use their own salaries to buy uniforms or feed hungry pupils. One teacher said, “I can’t sit and watch my pupils starve, so I share my lunch with them. But who will take care of me?” The emotional burden is heavy.

12. LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT : Training and workshops are often scarce or selective. Many teachers have never received ICT training, yet they are expected to prepare pupils for a digital world. This leaves them feeling left behind compared to their counterparts in private schools.

13. DELAYED PENSION BENEFITS : Even after serving the nation for decades, retiring teachers often wait years to access their pensions. A retired teacher in Cape Coast remarked, “I taught for 35 years, but two years after leaving service, I am still chasing my benefits.” This leaves many in financial distress after retirement.

In a nutshell, the struggles of the Ghanaian teacher in government schools are real and heartbreaking. From delayed salaries, lack of teaching materials, overcrowded classrooms, and inadequate infrastructure to lack of recognition and poor pensions, teachers endure challenges that test their patience daily. Yet, they continue to show up, motivated by the hope of transforming lives. If Ghana truly values education, then the nation must also value its teachers. For indeed, no country can rise above the quality of its teachers.