The number of periods a professional teacher is supposed to teach a basic school class per week in Ghana is not explicitly stated in available policy documents. However, some insights can be drawn from the general guidelines and regulations.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) is responsible for setting guidelines on teacher workload and instructional time. While there is no specific policy on the number of periods per week, the following points are relevant:
- Basic education (primary and junior high) is expected to have a minimum of 1,080 instructional hours per academic year.
- Teachers are expected to handle curricular and co/extra-curricular activities, as well as administrative tasks.
This suggests that the number of teaching periods per week may vary based on the school’s schedule and the teacher’s additional responsibilities.
Consistently, Ghana looks to Europe to guide several of its educational frameworks. In most of these European countries however, there are more explicit policies on teacher workload.
- In England, the recommended maximum is 25 hours of teaching time per week for primary school teachers.
- In France, primary school teachers teach between 24-27 hours per week, depending on the grade level.
- In Germany, primary school teachers typically teach between 27-29 hours per week.
These countries have more structured guidelines on the maximum teaching hours per week, allowing for additional time for planning, grading, and professional development activities.
While Ghana’s policies on teaching periods may be workable on paper, the emphasis of these periods is on ensuring a minimum instructional time for learners. The lack of explicit guidelines on teacher workload often leads to variations across schools and regions, potentially impacting the quality of education delivery.
What is your workload as a teacher? How does knowledge of the number of periods/hours you work in relation to the actual work you do affect your output?
