The president of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, GNAT, Mrs. Phillipa Larsen has charged government to prioritize issues relating to teachers in the country to ensure revitalization of the classroom policy.
She made the call at the launch of the 90th anniversary of the association at the GNAT hall in Accra today.
Speaking on the topic, ” Surviving as a reliable and vibrant teacher union in the 21st century”, Mrs. Larsen said that teachers continue to play leading in the development of the human resources in the country, despite the many terrible conditions under which they work.
She lamented that despite the model roles they play in the shaping of the lives of school children, teachers are the least attended to when it comes motivation. She cited that salaries of teachers still remain low, with little or no allowances for the herculean duties they perform.
Mrs. Larsen bemoaned the frustration of “no money” mantra that greets them when it comes to the implementation of teacher allowances; this she said cannot be “business as usual” in the 21st century.
She further implored members of the association to make use of technology in many of their activities such as loan applications, information dissemination, among other relevant issues.
Mrs. Larsen concluded that the “mother body” (GNAT) will rise up and get a considerable reward for the work they do.
However, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum who was at the inauguration has promised teachers that his outfit will see to it that teachers’ allowances are paid on time.
He assured the teachers that the president of the Republic is aware of the stress teachers go through in order to ensure education takes place; for which reason the president has directed that every teacher in the country will receive a laptop. This he said, will be done in collaboration with the teacher unions in the country.
The Bosomtwe lawmaker said it is his resolve to ensure that all allowances due teachers are paid, and on time, and also called on the various teacher unions to help bridge the gap between students from rural areas and the urban centres to help move education in the country forward.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) was established in 1931 to unite members and present a unified front to advise government in education policy formulation and implementation of better conditions of service for teachers.
Source: obaatanparadioonline.com