Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has observed a decline in the dignity of the teaching profession, urging the government to support teachers for progressive education.

He pointed to overcrowded classrooms, outdated curricula, and poor remuneration, especially in rural areas, emphasising that the current situation traps children born in rural Ghana with limited opportunities.

“Classrooms in rural Ghana are overcrowded, and the curriculum is outdated. Teachers are not paid well. And if we continue to live in this, when you are born in rural Ghana, you are stuck. No chairs. It was not like that when we were growing up,” he complained.

Speaking at the investiture ceremony of Prof. Eric Kwasi Ofori, Vice Chancellor of Garden City University in Kumasi, on Thursday, July 9, the Okyenhene urged the government to emulate countries that treat teachers as special professionals.

He particularly targeted Vice President Professor Jane Nana Opoku-Agyemang, with his message.

“My message to the Vice President: you are here in the city (Kumasi). For some reason, we have diminished the dignity of the teaching profession. And to remind us all, without teachers, we go nowhere. The state-of-the-art building and machines, and people who are teachers, are made special in some countries. Maybe we should look at that and treat teachers specially,” he said.