The fate of 131 out of 683 students graduating under the Untrained Teachers Diploma in Basic Education (UTDBE) program of the Saint John Bosco’s training college of Education in Navrongo hangs in the balance as they worry over whether they will be migrated onto governments payroll or not. The remaining 563 who are also completing the four year diploma in education program but on government payroll fear they might not be upgraded after successful completion.
The UTDBE program was introduced for unqualified teachers to upgrade themselves in order to become professionals. However, the enthusiastic students of the St. John Bosco’s College of Education on the day of completion expressed worry and unsure of their enrollment as professional teachers. Some of them say they have invested almost all that they have in educating themselves to serve the country.
President of the Students Representative Council of the school, Atinga Michael Adombire appealed to government to come to their aid. He explained that their fear of not getting upgraded or migrated onto government payroll is as a result of purported threat by some districts not to engage them when they complete.
“We have received complaints from some of our colleagues that their districts are threatening not to absorb them when they complete and we think that it is unfortunate” Mr. Atinga said.
Principal of the College, William Atindaana assured of the quality of the teacher trainees.
“If government is talking about quality basic education, we have trained a human resource that we can make use of otherwise we will lose in terms of the human resource” he warned.
Mr. Atindaana therefore appealed to the ministry of education, Ghana education service, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to come to the aid of the trained teachers.
By: Joshua Asaah/A1radioonline.com/Ghana
