Teachers in the Upper East Region on Wednesday 5th October joined in the celebration of World Teachers Day/GNAT week celebration in the Bawku West District capital- Zebilla with a call on the Ghana Education Service to expedite the promotion of deserving teachers in the service.
Teachers from Bolgatanga Municipal, Bongo District, Bawku Municipal, Bawku West District, Garu Tempane District, Builsa District and Kasena-Nankana District as part of the celebration participated in volleyball gala and quiz competition.
Alfred Abugre Ndago, Former Principal of St. John Bosco’s College of Education as guest speaker for the occasion gave a keynote address.
In his address, he said “the choice of the theme for the celebration dubbed ‘Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status’ is apt and is against the backdrop of concerns often raised about the sinking image and low recognition for teachers worldwide, particularly in developing countries like Ghana and the urgent need to address the challenges involved to restore hope and confidence to teachers with the assurance that things would be better soon.”
He added that not too long ago, teachers in Ghana were held in high esteem by society, occupying an enviable position on the social ladder. Even though there are many more varieties of professionals today, the teachers’ value has not totally diminished. The teacher according to him is still a powerful resource for education.
Mr. Peter Danquah Kpakpo-atsem who read a statement on behalf of the Acting National President of GNAT underscored the importance of the celebration with a reminder to teachers all over the country that they have been called into a noble profession which demands that they impart knowledge and morale values on students.
The Unions in Education appealed to its members to conduct themselves professionally in the discharge of their duties. The Acting President commended government for the construction of Community Day Senior High Schools at various locations in the country to improve access to education at all level.
He however lamented over delays in promotion of teachers within the Ghana Education Service. This situation he noted leads to frustration among the affected teachers which trickles down to low morale and its concomitant negative impact on quality education delivery. The Unions in Education urged management of the GES to tackle this pressing issue with dispatch. He therefore ended by appealing to all Ghanaians especially members of the political parties to be mindful of their civic responsibilities towards the country in terms of their utterances in the run up to the December general elections.
By: Agame Solomon/A1RADIOONLINE.COM/GHANA
