This study aimed at investigating the pressing issue of the reasons why teachers leaverngovernment secondary schools of SNNPRS and the factors that contributed to the high teacherrnturnover. It was also intended to identify strategies for reducing turnover and increasingrnretention. To this end, answers to basic questions pertaining to trend and cost of turnover, initialrncommitmel1l, major causes of turnover, and future intention of practicing and former teachersrnwere sough!.rnIn this study. a descriptive survey method was employed. Awassa administrative town, four Zonesrn(Gideo, Sidama, Wolayita, Kefa) and four spedal woredas (A maro, Konso, Derashe and Alaba)rnofSNNPRS were taken as samples. From these zones and special woredas, random samples of 18rnsecondary schools out of which (N=272) practicing teachers and all sampled school principalsrn(N= J8) were taken. In addition, available former teachers (N=J55) were involved in fillingrnquestionnaires to provide first hand information. Interviews were conducted with educationrnoffiCials from REB and WEDs. In addition, various documents and personal observation andrnexperiences were used as instrument to collect data. The data obtained was analyzed by usingrnstatistical tools such as percentage, rank order correlation coefficient and chi- square.rn_ T.he study revealed that average teacher turnover il1 s,econdary schools per annum (20002/3-rn2006/7) for the region was 13.3%; the highest (26. J%) being in Amaro special woreda and thernlowest (6.9%) in Yirgalem. In proportion 26.6% of fe males and J 1.9% of male teachers leftrngovernment secondary schools of the region from 2002/03 to 2006.rnPractiCing teachers intended to leave and fonner teachers left teaching in government secondaryrnschools mainly due to: low economic and financial benefits, low social prestige accorded tornteaching by the society, unfavorable working condition, unfair criteria used for promotion,rnselection and transfer, administrative problems and scarcity of instructional materials. The studyrnalso revealed that the majority of practicing and former teachers lacked initial commitmel1l tornteaching. Moreover, a substantial number of practicing teachers disclosed that they would notrnprefer to stay in the profession while the majority offormer teachers did not have the intention tornreturn to the profession.rnFinally the study has identified some major consequences of teacher turnover like, school staffingrnproblems, lower student achievement in national examination, additional cost incurred byrnstudents, parel1ls and schools, delay in teachers' transfer, and teachers' psychological andrnphysicai stress due to overload. Improving the status of teachers, using fair criteria for selectionrnand deployment, providing incentives, giving support and respect for teachers, improvingrnworking conditions, etc. have been suggested as solutions to reduce turnover, enhance retentionrnand attracrrhe best recruits to teacher education programs.