UW GNAT Chair Raises Alarm Over School Dropouts Driven by Illegal Mining

The Upper West Regional branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has expressed deep concern over the growing number of school dropouts linked to illegal mining.

Regional Chairman Ivon Kuule revealed that many students, particularly at the junior high level, are abandoning their classrooms to travel south in search of quick money from “galamsey” activities. Speaking at the association’s quadrennial delegates conference in Wa, he called for a holistic national response to address the menace and safeguard education in the region.

Mr. Kuule also highlighted other challenges affecting education, including high teacher attrition, inadequate infrastructure, lack of accommodation and basic amenities in hard-to-reach communities, and limited resources for implementing the new curriculum. He urged payroll validators to work diligently to avoid wrongful removal of teachers’ names, which dampens morale.

On membership, he reported an increase from 81.7% in 2021 to 90.4% in 2025, with 9,400 of the region’s 10,395 teachers now part of GNAT. The leadership aims for “100% membership” by the next conference and has invested in training district secretaries and treasurers while ensuring districts are financially resourced.

GNAT National President Rev. Isaac Owusu, present at the conference, appealed to government and stakeholders to restore peace in Bawku to protect members’ safety. He also encouraged teachers to join the GNAT Provident Fund, noting its 16.5% tax exemption, though fewer than 16,000 of the over 270,000 members currently contribute.