Ho, Oct. 28, GNA - An industrial environment in the educational sector hostile to female teachers can impact negatively on the implementation of educational policies.

This is because women form about 51 per cent of the membership of the Ghana National Association Teachers (GNAT). Ms Helen Awurusa, National Coordinator of the Ghana National Association of Teachers Ladies Association (GNAT-LAS) said this at the close of a capacity building workshop for newly elected executive members of the Association in Ho on Friday. Promotion of Women in Education (PWE) based in Lome, Republic of Togo sponsored the workshop, which was attended by executives from all regions except the Upper West and Upper East Region. Ms Awurusa said the fact that women bore and nurtured the nation's children must reflect in the service conditions of lady teachers to enable them to give off their best.

She put the membership of GNAT-LAS at 700,000.

Ms Awurusa expressed regret that while it was not allowed for lady teachers to take their babies to school there were no cr=E8ches near the various schools, even in the big towns.

The 35 participants at the four-day workshop were taught communication and negotiation skills, bargaining, advocacy and time and stress management among others.

Mr Victor Mensah, Ho Municipal Director of Education who presided said though 2005 was the penultimate year for realizing the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) concept there were still many children of school going age not in school, while the drop out rate was still high especially among girls.

He called on society to alter cultural norms and impositions that hindered the good performance of girls in school.