By Joseph Nana Yaw Cobbina
The leader and the flagbearer of the largest opposition party in Ghana NDC has meet with the teachers unions in Ghana to address their challenges when voted into office in the upcoming general elections as the president of the Republic of Ghana.
“As you’re aware, our education sector is at a crossroads and the best way to address
the challenges in the sector is through dialogue with key stakeholders who are at the centre of the implementation of policies in the education sector – not through suppression of free speech, victimization and intimidation. we are aware of all the challenges that have bedeviled the education sector since the NPP government came into office nearly eight years ago. Clearly, our basic
schools have been neglected” he stressed.
Speaking the meeting, ex president John Dramani Mahama hinted that the sector has been characterized by poor implementation of
reforms that have not been properly thought through. Changes in syllabus without accompanying text books and other learning materials.
As for the implementation of Free SHS, the least talked about it the better. Just last week he had the privilege of meeting a cross section of leaders of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools who lamented the poor implementation of FSHS and its effects on quality education delivery in the country.
“I am aware that as key stakeholders, the NPP government has failed to consult you on many
policies that they are implementing. The NDC is different, as a social democratic party, we
believe in participation” he recounted.
This is a mark of good governance as it helps shape policies to make
them more responsive to citizens. Today’s meeting is yet another demonstration of the fact that
the NDC is ready to listen to you and work with you to improve our education sector.
“NDC recognises all unions in the education sector, GNAT, NAGRAT, and CCT inclusive, as key
stakeholders in quality education delivery in the country. The party has always taken and will continue to take the inputs of the unions into account when formulating educational policies that is why in the 2020 NDC Peoples’ Manifesto, in section 7.2. paragraph 6, under Providing Globally Competitive and Quality Education,the party stated, Furthermore, the next NDC Government will usher in a new dawn for teachers through restoring the dignity of teachers and make them integral partners in national policy reforms” he narrated.
In line with that recognition, I met with you the Pre-Tertiary Education Teacher Unions – GNAT,
NAGRAT, and CCT – at the NAGRAT Lyceum in 2020 for discussions. The inputs you made were taken into consideration in the 2020 manifesto.
He said he is happy that you have codified your concerns
into a document titled Demands to the Political Parties on Education Delivery in Ghana for
Consideration and Incorporation into their 2024 Manifestoes.
This has paved the way for our engagement today.
Going through the demands presented by you, I realised that they significantly reflect the work already done by the Education Committee of the party.
“Your demands thus validate the quality of work the Education Committee has put into its research.That said, echoing the need to improve quality teaching and learning, and existing infrastructure, is key and reflects what I have said at many fora on my “Building the Ghana We Want Together” tour.Many of the concerns you raised in the document are germane and relevant, and achievable in collaboration with you.Others, I believe, need further engagements, given the limited fiscal resources available due to the mismanagement of the economy by the current government” he assured.
H.E.Mahama noted that the use of the First Language (LI) as a medium of instruction from KG to Basic 3 sits well with our policies.
This was specially so under Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang as then
Minister of Education. The policy will be considered alongside the training of more teachers in
the major Ghanaian languages to make the implementation effective.
The NDC agrees with you on the need to establish libraries in the basic schools to inculcate
the culture of reading in the pupils.
This is necessary not only for knowledge, but also for pleasure, which is gradually diminishing in the basic schools.
“Presently, the distribution of textbooks is a critical issue at the basic school level, and I am not
surprised you have raised the issue.Financing of education at the basic schools is another major challenge. The NDC will ensure the timely disbursement of capitation grants to the schools and the education directorates to ensure effective management of the schools. Financing of basic schools, I agree with you,
should be need-based and resource-based” he reiterated.
The provision of free sanitary pads for female learners in both basic and senior high schools
was initiated under the erstwhile NDC government. If you could remember, our opponents now
in government mocked us on the initiative. For you, the unions to raise the issue again means
that our policy on sanitary pads was well thought through and needs to be reintroduced.
The NDC policy of infrastructure development will again be pursued vigorously to
decongest the large class sizes. Abandoned infrastructure in the basic and senior high and
TVET schools, including the E-blocks, will receive priority attention under my administration.
“Need to review and improve upon the free SHS/TVET policy is no longer debatable; it is a must, through stakeholder engagement to address the numerous challenges and the GES on a policy for deprived or underserved communities” he observed.
According to him, the establishment of comprehensive data
on teachers in such areas would be gathered so that teachers can be compensated for the
deprivation they suffer in such areas.
The NDC is in solidarity with teachers in decrying the current manipulation, abuse, and wrongful punishment of teachers by government. It is not surprising that you have captured this in your concerns.
He was optimistic that these harassment, abuse, and the threat of, and actual use of transfers (reposting) as a tool for coercing teachers, school heads, Directors, and union leaders who engage in professional discourse will be halted by the NDC.
The NDC will vigorously ensure not only prompt recruitment of newly trained teachers but
also the prompt payment of their salaries and any arrears accrued.
He emphasis that the next NDC government shall establish a Auto Loan and Housing Schemes, that will be engagement with teacher unions on how we can work out a collaboration to
develop modalities on these schemes.
“Despite the current economic mess that the country
has been plunged into, I believe that with the right conversation and collaboration with
stakeholders, a workable plan can be crafted. With housing, teachers who have a 15 to 20
years working life ahead of them will be able to take low interest mortgages indexed in cedis
to acquire affordable houses in locations of their choice” he lamented.
According to him, teachers need to be deployed/posted equitably across the country. It should be done on the needs of the schools.
In view of this, the NDC will halt the current centralised posting of teachers from the GES Headquarters and revert to the deployment by the Regional/District Directorates of
education.
Meanwhile the representative of the teachers unions, Mr Angel Kabunu appealed to John Dramani Mahama to review the liensencial exams to avoid the frustration its members goes through.
He said by so doing will go along way for teachers not to travelled from let’s say Tamale to Accra just to write the said exams looking at the risk involved.
The teacher union is ready to work with him if only he would keep to his promises and address their needs.
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