EASTERN Province Rainbow Party youth chairperson Emmanuel Nyau has described the deployment of 180 new teachers in the region as a mockery.

In a press statement, Nyau stated that the 180 recruits would not address the shortage of teachers in the province.

“As youths in Eastern Province, we are sad that government can only give Eastern Province 180 teachers against all the districts. This is a mockery because most schools have few teachers…some schools have two teachers against [classes from] grade one to seven so what is 180 because this means each district will have 10 new teachers?” he stated.

Nyau stated that last year the government deployed 4,000 teachers to the province and wondered why the figure had dropped to such levels this year.

“Let them not lie to us that there is no money to pay teachers. Everyone is paying tax and it’s that taxpayers’ money that is required to boost our economy like paying teachers. We need more teachers because to be honest there is a teacher crisis in most rural areas,” he stated.

Nyau stated that the government should take back the 180 teachers if it failed to increase the number for Eastern Province.

“If they don’t want to add teachers then let them get back the 180 so that we remain uneducated than being cheated,” stated Nyau.

A check found that some schools have as few as two trained teachers supported by untrained ones.