By
Morkporkpor Anku, GNA
Accra, Sept. 27, GNA – The Leadership of the
Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) says it is not opposed to the
Teacher Licensure Examination organised by the National Teaching Council (NTC).
Ms Philippa Larsen, the National President of
GNAT, said “we, however, expressed concern about the rush to get the examination
conducted without enough stakeholder consultation and sensitisation of the
teachers, who are to write the examination.”
Ms Larsen speaking at the launch of the World
Teacher’ Day and GNAT Week celebration, said just as the examination for BECE
and WASSCE have syllabus guiding both teachers and student, the NTC should have
come out with the form of examination to be written and any other related
information to get teachers well informed and prepared for the examination.
The event, which is celebrated to highlight
the important role teachers play in developing nations across the globe and the
recognition and appropriate compensation due them, is on the theme: “The Right
to Education means, the right to a Qualified Teacher.”
“No teacher is afraid to write any
examination, but we consider it unfair to deny the examinees what to expect
prior to the examination,” she added.
Ms Larsen said, in order to forestall the
situation repeating itself next year, GNAT had consulted with the Ministry of
Education, which had agreed to a stakeholder meeting before the end of October,
to develop a framework for the conduct of the licensure examination, going into
the future.
On arrears due teachers, the National
President said government had assured the leadership of the Association that
about ten thousand teachers would be paid their arrears within the next two
weeks.
On the Double Track System, Ms Larsen said
GNAT was not against its introduction, however, there would not be enough
teachers to stand the pressure that was likely to accompany the implementation
of the policy.
She urged government to speed up the
recruitment of its promised 8,000 additional teachers to augment the number of
teachers in the Senior High Schools (SHS).
“In our view, it will be impossible for the
current number of tutors in SHS to handle the system,” she added.
On the GNAT Week celebration, she said it was
to sensitise their members to the activities of the Association and also usher
them into the mood of the celebration of the World Teachers’ Day, held on
October 5, every year.
She said in line with this objective, a series
of activities had been lined-up to commemorate the event, including Radio
discussions on the global theme of the Day, Inter District Quiz competition,
Inter Local fun games, health screening, clean-up exercise, symposia and
presentations on the new Educational Policies.
Ms Larsen said also, as part of the Day
celebration, GNAT every year assist 50 needy school children in the host region
by providing them with school attires, bags, canvas boots and learning
materials to serve as a motivation to go to school.
She said this year, there was an innovation,
regarding the learning materials, instead of the materials being dropped in the
bags, this time the two schools from which the 50 children were chosen would
each be presented with a pack of Supplementary Readers and Simplified English
for Schools to their libraries, for use by the pupils.
“This is to help improve reading among the
pupils at the basic level,” the National President said.
She said GNAT remained committed to contribute
its quota to ensure that both teachers and learners find themselves in an
atmosphere that promotes sound academic work.
GNA