Snakebites among the real issues facing teachers in rural areas – GES

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has acknowledged the challenges that teachers are going through in Afram Plains and in all other parts of the country.

These challenges include snakebites especially in rural areas and also accommodation issues.

To that end, the GES said measures have been put in place to deal with these issues.

Deputy Director-General of the GES, Mr. Anthony Boateng, who admitted that these are real challenges indicated that the issues need a multi-stakeholder approach to solve them.

His comments come after two teachers in Afram Plains in the Eastern Region of Ghana, are reported to have died as a result of snakebite and also their inability to receive medical care.

The Basic Education Coordinator for the Afram Plains North District, Taihdu Mohammed, while speaking in an interview with TV3’s Komla Adom in the ‘Education Reforms’ documentary produced by TV3, attributed the situation to the lack of electricity in most communities in the area.

Taihdu Mohammed told Komla Adom that the teachers died because there was no anti-Snake venom serum in the health facilities at Donkokrom where they were sent for medical attention.

He further revealed that parents of the other teachers who were fortunate to have survived snakebites have evacuated them from the area to their respective hometowns to ensure their safety.

“Because there is no light, there are no solar and other things, most of the children come there and they are getting snakebites and when they send them to Donkorkrom hospital they don’t even have the medicine to treat them.

“Two teachers have died because of this snakebite on the islands, three of them were cured, and later, their parents came that they will not allow their children to stray in Afram Plains so quickly they took them from this place.”

Reacting to this development, Mr. Anthony Boateng also told Komla Adom in the documentary that “These are issues that must be tackled holistically and across agencies and across sectors. I can assure you something is being done. For example, as I speak to you, there is a committee that is working on the identification of what we call deprived schools.

“So that some motivations can go to teachers who accept postings to these areas. We expect the committee to finish its work and present its report in the coming weeks. We are also aware of efforts by the government to provide housing for teachers. So it is our prayer and hope that all these initiatives will materialise.”