Teachers in Ghana are only noticed when they make mistakes
For eleven years I was a teacher helping give better Education to my junior brothers and sisters in Brong Ahafo Region.
[ads1]Out of the eleven years, I was an Assistant Headmaster for one year and a substantive Headmaster for 3years.
I was a Headmaster but I didn’t use a Kitchen stool. Hahahaa.
I woman I know in Berekum who has been very hostile to her husband for years has become very romantic after watching the “kitchen stool” video because their house is closer to one of the SHS.
My brother and friend who I take lots of inspirations from through his write-ups, Comrade Stephen Kwabena Attuh (ASK) told me this uncle Efo Kojogah a Carpenter in his village Bowiri Amanforo in Jasikan district is making lots of gains from the sale of kitchen stools since Monday when the kitchen stool video was premiered.
Job creation avenue for one district, one factory.
Been on the teaching field gave me lots of exposure on the teaching profession. It made me understand why most people don’t want to join the teaching profession.
As a teacher, you are told from day one that your reward, allowances and even pension benefits are all in Heaven.
But the question is how about if the teacher doesn’t make it to heaven? Meaning he has lost everything.
Teaching is the only profession in Ghana that everyone including politicians looks down upon.
No wonder if a students passes exams in Ghana, everybody praises them excluding the teacher who sacrificed for them to pass, but when they fail all the blame and insults goes directly to the teacher.
No wonder the Education Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh joined the chorus by calling for headmasters to be sacked for poor performance of their students.
I was shocked when he was comparing the performance of public schools with private schools.
Forgetting that all the facilities needed to enhance teaching and learning are available in the private schools while even common chalk to write in the public schools, teachers have to buy it themselves because of government’s neglect of our basic schools in the name of Free SHS which they are now blaming Mahama for.
I could not still understand why government’s focus is on SHS at the expense of the basic schools.
In fact, I don’t understand why the government will give a free meal to an SHS students at the age of 25 in Achimota SHS whose parents are the super rich and leave out the Amina Dramani who is in Kg 2 in Sandema L/A primary whose father is a seasonal tomoto farmer.
The government has abundant the free exercise books, free uniforms, free sandals project for the basic schools because they can’t vote during elections and has focused on the Senior High Schools just to win their votes.
Forgetting that the fundamentals are more important and are the liking bridges to the top.
Why should government abundant the foundation and be thinking to roof the building?
No wonder our Education Minister said he doesn’t know anything about Education.
This discrimination against teachers starts from the training colleges where our teachers are trained.
No wonder when the payment of allowances started the nurses were paid while the teachers left out until they cried out.
No wonder the teacher trainees are paid GHS200 as allowance while their nurses counterparts are given 450.00.
I watch the video of the Headmaster and his girlfriend. And I studied the Headmasters room and realized the welfare of our teachers need to be our topmost priority.
GNAT is one toothless organization that is only interested in taking dues from teachers. Instead of seeking better conditions of service for their members they only wait till the teacher dies so that they can buy the coffin for his burial from million of dues paid.
For me, I see GNAT as a permanent ministry of Education who support every government decision whether good or bad.
The only thing teachers benefit from the dues they pay to GNAT when alive is a GNAT diary.
I think it’s time teachers start demanding accountability for their monies been deducted as dues which are used for huge investments by GNAT.
I know of a teacher in Berekum who taught for 31 years, went on pension and her benefit sum for working for 31 was 11,670, an amount less that Nana Addo’s ministers monthly allowance not to talk of their salary and she is to receive 270cedis a month as pension allowance.
Unfortunately for her she used 10,000 out of the 11,670 to invest in DKM and lost everything. She voted for Nana and was hopeful on Nana Addo’s promise to retrieve her money for her but attempted suicide when Ken Ofori Atta told Parliament they will not pay the money because it is not in their manifesto.
NPP government promised to make teaching the most enviable profession but they have rather done the opposite.
Teaching profession became more attractive under the NDC when their salary jumped from 470 to 980.
It made teachers a bit comfortable. That was the era you could see teachers building houses and buying cars.
So they expected much from this current government but got disappointed and rather received threats, warnings, and insults from government ministers for doing their job.
The world became happy when South Korea decided to pay teachers same salaries as doctors.
Ghana should follow their footprint and improve the conditions and welfare of teachers and as well provide the needed teaching and learning materials as well as create an enabling teaching environment for teaching and learning in our various schools.
The government must stop playing politics with our children’s education and resource the basic schools to build a firm foundation for our future leaders in the basic schools.
Let’s stop looking for fault in whatever teachers do and push for support for them to enable them to deliver better results for us.
Teachers are our saviors after Jesus Christ. No wonder Jesus himself was a teacher.
If indeed you can read this, then thank a teacher
PossibleTOGETHER
Efo Worlanyo TSEKPO
B/A Youth Activist
0247046008