Teachers' Lot Will Improve -President assures

01-06-09
Page 1 Lead

THE President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, has given the assurance that the government is this year feverishly working towards reversing the unfortunate trend of inadequate remuneration received by public sector workers, especially teachers.
“The near implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure is a clear manifestation that the government is committed to improving the lot of teachers here on earth,” he said.
President Mills gave the assurance when he opened the third Quadrennial and 50th National Delegates Conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in Accra yesterday.
The conference, which is being attended by about 750 delegates, is on the theme: “Investing in People to achieve Quality Education by 2015”.
Already, Prof. Mills said, there had been evidence of the government’s determination to ensure that education was given its rightful place in the development of the country and mentioned the increase in the Capitation Grant and the provisions of free exercise books and free uniforms as some of the concrete measures the government had taken to improve the delivery of quality education in the country.
He identified the remuneration of teachers as one of the areas that the government would strive to improve upon so that they (teachers) would renew their commitment towards ensuring quality education in the country.
Prof. Mills said the government would do everything possible to improve education through the provision of the necessary facilities and infrastructure across the country, especially in the rural areas.
He identified four areas — the right environment, availability of teaching materials, training of teachers and co-operation between the school and the community — as vital to the delivery of quality education.
He commended GNAT for its decision of not going on strike when it announced it was going to do so, adding that the government would reciprocate the good gesture.
Prof. Mills called on the private sector to be actively involved in the provision of education so as to ensure access.
The President of GNAT, Mr Joseph Kwaku Adjei, called on the government to step up actions to improve teachers’ initial and continuing professional development, and reminded the government “about the support promised to teachers patronising distance education programmes in the University of Cape Coast and the University of Education, Winneba“.
“As a professional group, one particular area of concern to GNAT is the recruitment of non-professional teachers which is encouraged by the World Bank; this phenomenon should be vehemently opposed by all well-meaning Ghanaians because it is a means of watering down standards in our educational attainments,” he said.
GNAT, he stated, had remained a major stakeholder in the education industry of the country as it had been part of the struggle to put the country on an even keel.
“In addition, GNAT has remained neutral in the political organisation of the country and has sought to work with every government to achieve the educational goals set by successive governments. GNAT, therefore, wants to assure government of its continued commitment to and co-operation for the promotion and execution of sound policies which are in the best interest of people of this country,” he said.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, assured teachers of the implementation of the 20 per cent allowance for rural teachers, as well as the provision of other welfare packages.
The Minister of Manpower and Employment, Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao, said teachers deserved special commendation in society.
There were solidarity messages from the National Association of Graduate Teachers, Education International, Fair Wages Commission, organised labour and the National Labour Commission.