The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is unhappy about the delays that have characterised the promotion of teachers over the years.
GNAT indicated that this, along with low remuneration and the unavailability of Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs) negatively affects the output of teachers in the country.
As such, the government through the Ministry of Education and its implementing agency; the Ghana Education Service (GES) is being asked to hasten the promotion processes within the education sector.
Madam Ivy Naaso, the Upper East Regional Secretary of GNAT shared these sentiments when she spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show today, Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“You are due for promotion, especially lower grade, you are on that rank for 4 years and you can be on that rank for the next 3 years and you do not even know when you will be promoted along with the adjustment of salaries,” she said.
Madam Naaso continued to lament about the absence of relevant teaching materials since the change of the curriculum in 2019.
Meanwhile, (GNAT) is making a case for public school teachers and all public sector workers alike to have their salaries adjusted to meet the ever-rising inflation rates in the country.
GNAT indicated that the paltry increases in the salaries of public sector workers do nothing to help them survive. This is because of the steep rise in the prices of goods and services on the market.
Background
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) says the country’s pre-tertiary education sector is in dire crisis and needs to be salvaged as soon as possible.
Deputy General Secretary for GNAT, in Charge of Education and Professional Development, Kwame Dagbandow, said this in a Keynote address delivered on his behalf by Palham Oyeye, at the launch of the Global Action Week for Education (GAWE) on Monday.
He lamented that many issues have confronted the sector making it a shadow of its former self.
Mr. Dagbandow explained that capitation funds used to facilitate primary education for every child have been in arrears since 2019.
The situation, according to him, has forced many heads of public schools to operate on credit.
“Since 2019, this is the most pathetic one, which breaks some of us down. The capitation grant has been in arrears and we have our education in crisis.
The Deputy General Secretary also reiterated the lack of textbooks since the introduction of the new curriculum by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA).
Describing the situation as pathetic, Mr. Dagbandow said the issue has made education more expensive for pupils in public schools since the provision of books has been left to “education business individuals.”
“This is a tragedy in our education delivery in Ghana. Let us be reminded that education as we Unions will term it, is not a commodity and must not be for sale to the highest bidder nor should it be privatized.
“Education is a public good and it must be enjoyed by all,” he stated.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
