The Member of Parliament for the Zebilla Constituency in the Upper East Region, Ebenezer Alumire Ndebilla, has described the state of education in the area as “appalling,” citing a shortage of more than 300 teachers as the most urgent crisis requiring immediate intervention.
In his first few days in office, the MP has made addressing this deficit his top priority.
Speaking in an interview on A1 Radio, Mr. Ndebilla—who brings extensive experience in development partnership to the role—expressed deep concern about the constituency’s educational performance.
“I think it’s not anything… to me, education is not something that we can be proud of, especially in recent times,” he stated. “The performance in the BECE results has not been very good; it has been appalling and it is worrying.”
Outlining the challenges, the MP revealed that his initial engagements with stakeholders point to a multifaceted problem. The most pressing issue, he stressed, is the severe teacher deficit, which he identified as a major factor behind poor academic outcomes.
“There is a deficit of over 300 teachers in my constituency,” he emphasized.
Beyond the staffing crisis, Mr. Ndebilla pointed to the distraction of mining activities within and around the constituency, which lure young people away from the classroom in search of “quick money.”
This challenge, coupled with a persistent lack of infrastructure—where “some schools are still sitting under trees”—creates a difficult learning environment.
He further highlighted a critical monitoring gap, revealing that Circuit Supervisors (CISOs) lack the resources, including transport and fuel, to effectively oversee schools in the vast constituency.
Demonstrating a commitment to swift action, the MP announced an initial intervention: “A few days ago, I provided six new motorbikes to the Ghana Education Service for distribution to these officers so they can take school monitoring more seriously.”
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Bolgatanga
