Bring back invaluable induction period for newly hired teachers

A teacher in a classroom. [Getty Images]

The government froze recruitment of teachers in 1998 due to purported high expenditure in the education sector and subsequently lifted the ban in 2001 but on replacement basis. By 2002, the shortfall of teachers had risen to 12,479 countrywide.

There has been a continuous shortage of teachers which is attributed to many factors that include, but are not limited to; resignation and joining better employment opportunities, retirement, deregistration on grounds of discipline and death. As at July 2022, the teacher shortage stood at 116,000 in both primary and secondary schools.