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GNAT expresses apprehension about
decisions of government
Asokore (ER), July 29, Ghanadot/GNA - The
Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has expressed
apprehension about some decisions of the government, which
could hamper the implementation of the new educational
reforms.
Some of their concerns are the failure of the Ministry of
Education, Science and Sports to waive the cost of training
teachers pursuing Diploma in Basic Education programmes, the
delay in naming a new Education Minister and the unexplained
departure of Dr Paa Kwesi Ndoum as Public Reforms Minister.
The Deputy General Secretary of GNAT, Mr John Nyoagbe, noted
that with barely one month for the beginning of the new
educational reforms, there was no substantive Minister of
Education.
"Certain critical steps need to be taken now such as
orientation of teachers, production and distribution of
syllabi, planning for admissions for the first batch of
Senior High School students, textbook development among
other things," he said and indicated that the absence of a
Minister was hampering those efforts.
He was addressing 198 teachers attending a one-week
in-service training jointly organised by GNAT and its
Canadian counterpart at Asokore-Koforidua on Friday.
Paapa Owusu Ankomah, who until recently was at the helm of
the Ministry, has resigned to enable him contest to become
the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party in the 2008
elections.
He said that while GNAT did not have any qualms with his
resignation, it urged the Government "to act with dispatch
to appoint a substantive Minister to pilot the process."
The GNAT Deputy Secretary General also expressed concern
about the resignation of Dr Ndoum and expressed the hope
that "the strange circumstances," under which he resigned,
would not affect the deadlines set and the outcome of the
job evaluation exercise of the Ministry.
Nr Nyoagbe the Association had "serious concerns" about the
fate of teachers with less than ten years to retire who may
not be eligible to benefit from the proposed three-tier
pension scheme outlined by the Government.
He called on the Ghana Education Service, the Ministry of
Finance and the Controller and Accountant-General's
Department to institute a scheme whereby newly trained
teachers would be upgraded to their actual salaries not more
than two months after the final results had been determined.
Such a positive development, he explained, would forestall
the situation of making new entrants in the GES to wait
sometimes for 18 or more months before they were put on the
payroll.
Mr Nyaogbe expressed displeasure about the failure of the
Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to offset the
bills of teachers enrolled in the Diploma in Basic Education
programme despite numerous assurances to that effect.
The Eastern Regional Director of Education, Mrs Akosua Adu,
said the reforms had come to stay and urged teachers to
strive to make it succeed.
She commended the members of the Canadian Teachers
Federation (CTF) who participated in the programme for their
foresight in sharing their knowledge with their Ghanaian
counterparts.
Madam Prisca Ninewienah, one of the Canadian participants
expressed the willingness of her Association to assist in
the retraining of Ghanaian teachers.
Madam Ninewienah later presented certificates to the
participants including heads of second cycle institutions
who were exposed to new developments in English, Science and
mathematics education.
GNA
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