The National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama says the next NDC administration will ensure the independence and freedom of teachers to enable them to freely voice their concerns.
“And you all know these things but if you say it, they will come after you, so you are all quiet. So, I’m saying that one of the things this election is going to do when the NDC comes is a new independent day for teachers. You will hear the things they will say. After 7th January, the headmaster couldn’t call to come here and speak, he would be freed, his chain would have been removed and you would hear the things they would say. For now, hold your peace, I know if you talk, they will transfer you to Bunkpurugu, Bole, or somewhere,” he noted.
According to the former president, the trimester system which gave teachers flexibility in student preparation has been replaced by a system that restricts teachers.
“Before when we had a trimester system, the teachers used to have a break to be able to mark their papers, take a rest, write their curriculum for the next term before the children come, and then they start teaching,” he said.
John Mahama announced at a town hall meeting with labor unions at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, that he would conduct stakeholder consultation to change the system when he wins the next election.
“Now the teachers have no break. When these are coming, these are going, now it’s ‘basaaaa’ [chaotic]. You don’t know who goes where and who goes where. And so if I say teachers come, headmasters come, parents come, educational experts come, GES come, all of you come and let’s see how to resolve this problem, does that mean cancellation?“ he pointed out.