Ho, Oct 4, GNA - The role of the Inspectorate Division of the Ghana Education Service (GES) is being redefined in the light of the institution of the Independent National Inspectorate Board. The Board is an independent agency of the Ministry of Education, authorized by the relevant legislations to oversee quality assurance issues of pre-tertiary education in the public and private sectors. Dr George Afeti, the Chief Inspector of Schools, was speaking at the 12-year celebration of the formation of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) in Ho on Friday.

Dr Afeti, a former Rector of the Ho Polytechnic who represented Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, the Minister of Education, said the Board was the external evaluating authority for the GES. He said in the coming years issues of education would have to be tackled more actively at the local government levels than currently done and that schools would have what were needed to increase output. The celebration was well attended by NAGRAT members countrywide on account of the presence of Mr. George Smith-Graham, Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and Dr Yaw Baah, Deputy General-Secretary of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC). Mr Smith-Graham said efforts were underway to resolve bottlenecks delaying paying teachers and others in the education sector based on the new public sector single spine pay policy. He said the essential ingredient of the new pay policy was 'aligning remuneration to the value of work' and that one's academic qualification alone would not determine placement. Regarding special allowances for teachers working in deprived areas, Mr Smith-Graham said his Commission was liaising with the relevant authorities including the Statistical Service to secure the designated areas for action.

Dr Baah said the essential ingredients of the new pay policy was sustainability, fairness, consistency and transparency, stressing that there still remained a lot more to do in the process. Mr Christian Addai-Poku, President of NAGRAT, said graduate teachers had not regretted forming the association as NAGRAT had "given teachers a worthy alternative in the field of trade union practice". Mr Addai-Poku said today NAGRAT had made teachers "to see that they have clout".