The Guinean Ministry of Education needs to hire around 3,000 teachers in the near future to fill the vacancy left by many teachers who have gone to continue their studies in Portugal, an official from the institution told media.
Moisés da Silva, director-general of Human Resources at the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research, said that if measures are not taken, “there is a risk that the school year will be seriously compromised”.
He noted that only last week 300 teachers received entry visas to Portugal, where they will study for a master’s degree, leaving the Guinean education system, and “a considerable number are still leaving due to illness”.
“We have information that more than a thousand teachers have study visas for Portugal,” said Moisés da Silva. Guinea-Bissau does not currently have any institutions offering Master’s degree courses, which is why many teachers choose to seek this degree outside the country.
The Director General of Human Resources at the Ministry of Education noted that the situation is affecting students at all levels of education, particularly those in secondary education, in the subjects of mathematics and physics, those in higher education, but above all those in basic education.
“The Perê Unified Basic Education School in Bissau lost 10 teachers in one week alone, who left the system. The students were left without classes,” said Moisés da Silva, fearing that those students would simply choose to stay at home.
The risk of dropping out of the school year could increase if the lack of teachers is not resolved by February, he said, noting that from March onwards, with the start of the cashew harvest season, it is normal for many students to stop going to school.