Some Ghanaian teachers who have relocated to the United States have shared the challenges they faced in Ghana’s education sector, explaining why they left and how their lives have since changed.
Speaking on a special edition of Point Blank on Eyewitness News from Yonkers in the US, three teachers—Stephen, Joshua, and Boateng—recounted their experiences at home and why they chose to migrate.
Stephen, who was earning GH¢3,700 in Ghana, said he moved because he felt overwhelmed by expectations he could not meet on a teacher’s salary.
“From where I come from, I was the only one who had completed university, so everybody was looking up to me, and I was not able to meet that demand. So, I decided to travel because I knew that when I came to the US, I would make it. With the two years here, I can say that I have made it. I worked for six years [in Ghana] and was not able to even buy a plot of land,” he said.
He added that the conditions in Ghana made it impossible to achieve his dreams.
“I decided to come to the US because the conditions of service and the system necessitated the need to move. Growing up, we had dreams, but the system does not put you in that direction to achieve them. As you grow, you have families to take care of, and it becomes challenging. So, I had to move,” he explained.
Joshua, who earned around GH¢3,500, described his decision to migrate using a scientific analogy.
“In our science class, we say that when an atom gets charged, kinetic energy sets in. So, when the system becomes too hot, and the system gives you some of the heat, you will need to move. So, wherever you find comfort, you move there,” he said.
Boateng, who moved to the US about two months ago, said that as an Assistant Director I earning GH¢4,300, his salary was still inadequate to care for himself and his family.
“With my salary, I was not happy. I was not able to cater for myself and my family. I was commuting to where I stayed to my workplace, and in a week, I was spending more than GH¢300,” he said.
“I wasn’t hopeful of the future. Even if there is a new government, they will sit with the labour union to try and increase your salary by 10% and comparing that with what I was earning, it didn’t match up, so I have to travel,” he added.
The teachers’ testimonies add to the growing debate over brain drain in Ghana’s education sector, as more professionals seek better opportunities abroad due to poor remuneration and limited career growth at home.
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