Koforidua, May 27, GNA - Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, has stated that government recognised the need for teachers to upgrade themselves through further studies but the concern has been the abuse of such system. He observed that good educational curriculum without quality teacher s was meaningless to achieving better standards of education and therefore government was bent on improving the conditions of service for teachers including the study leave facility.

The Regional Minister said this when the leadership of the Eastern Regional Association of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) called on him at his office in Koforidua to announce the beginning of a community service programme and other issues.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo observed that the teaching profession had of late become a "stepping stone" and most teachers abused the study leave facili ty granted at the expense of the state where they veered into other professi ons after completing their studies. He said that phenomenon had led to the shortage of teachers througho ut the country and to address that situation the Ghana Education Service (GE S) has taken measures that were not favourable to teachers. He assured them that government would as part of the improvement of the service conditions of teachers take a critical look at the study leave facility to ensure that teachers had the fullest benefit. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo commended the Association for the institution of the

community service where vacation and extra classes would be organized in deprived communities in the region and pledged to liaise with the distric t assemblies to support them.

The President of the Association, Mr Moses Ohene Amponsah, said the community service programme was instituted as part of their contribution towards the improvement of education in the region, especially in deprive d areas where educational standards were very low.

He, however, raised issues with the study leave facility where many teachers, who applied, were refused and in some cases those that commence d with their education had their application terminated. Mr Amponsah expressed the Association's gratitude to the Minister fo r accepting to be their patron and the many help it had extended to the gro wth of the Association. He later presented a nine-point communiqu=E9 of the Association to t he Minister bordering on education improvement in the region for considerati on and a citation in his honour. 27 May 10