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The Ghana Education Service in Ashanti has registered an excess staff of 8,228 from the Basic through to the Colleges of Education. Meanwhile, the region has 1,785 vacancies to be filled while a total of 44 schools are without a single teacher. The GES has consequently blocked the names of 854 staff for being redundant. This was the outcome of a special staff rationalization exercise conducted by the Ghana Education Service across the country to assess the staffing situation of educational institutions. The Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Kwabena Sarfo Kantanka who confirmed this to Radio Ghana said the Regional Directorate of Education alone had an excess of 28 staff that have since been deployed to the classroom. He said seven private Senior High Schools which have been absorbed into the public system are the beneficiaries. Mr Sarfo Kantanka said the Kumasi Metropolis alone had an excess staff population of 998. Ironically, 105 vacancies exist in areas waiting to be filled. He said some schools in nine Districts virtually have no teachers at all. In the Atwima Mponua District for instance, 17 schools have no teacher, followed by Amansie West with 12 schools, Asante Akyem South - 4, Adansi South - 3, Asante Akyem North - 2, and one each for Atwima Nwabiagya and Ahafo Ano North. Mr Sarfo Kantanka said the recommendations made by the Special Committee are strictly being followed to ensure fair and equitable distribution of staff. According to the Regional Director, because there has been embargo on employment and recruitment of teachers, there is the need to ensure the excess staff are distributed.