A shortage of teachers in underserved rural schools is forcing some children into economic activities, increasing their exposure to child labour, according to education and child protection advocates.
The concern emerged during an accountability forum held as part of the second joint monitoring visit under the My Life My Right project, which covers districts including Asunafo North, Adansi South, Adansi Akrofuom, and Adansi Asokwa in the Ahafo and Ashanti regions.
The project, implemented by Right To Play with support from Barry Callebaut, targets 17,500 children aged four to 14 in 50 cocoa-growing communities. It seeks to combat child labour through play-based learning, teacher training, parental engagement, and community child protection committees.
Mrs Lois Asante Bota, Project Officer at Right To Play, stressed that the absence of adequately resourced teachers in communities such as Akyeasewa and Adiepena discourages school attendance and increases children’s participation in illegal mining and cocoa farming.
“Without teachers in the classroom, children and parents see little value in attending school, making it easier for them to engage in work instead,” she said.
The monitoring exercise, which covered eight communities, involved agencies including the Department of Social Welfare, the Office of the Local Government Service, and the Ministries of Education and Labour, Jobs and Employment.
Madam Olivia Ziem Tizaayel, Child Protection Support Specialist, highlighted that Community Child Protection Committees established in 20 communities had improved reporting and referral of child labour cases. Findings from the exercise are expected to guide a stakeholder action plan to strengthen child protection systems.
Mr Isaac Atta-Baah, Principal Programmes Officer at the Ministry of Education, called for better teacher accommodation and internet access in remote areas, while Mr Julius Kwami Tsatsu, Project Manager, urged decentralising teacher postings to ensure deployment in high-need communities.
The team observed that many children walk over five kilometres to schools, with several institutions operating without professional teachers, leaving child labour risks unaddressed in the monitored districts.
