THE GENERAL SECRETARY of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), David Ofori Acheampong has warned teachers who charge 50p for extra classes to desist from the practice.

He said teachers who take 20 to 50 pesewas from pupils before teaching them topics that are supposed to be taught in normal classes are not demonstrating professionalism.

Mr. Acheampong gave the warning when he addressed young teachers at Sunyani last Friday during a one day sensitization workshop organized by GNAT to sensitize teachers on the need to join GNAT and remain with it. The workshop which was under the theme, ‘Promoting the Development of the Young Teacher’ was attended mostly by young teachers drawn from across the Brong Ahafo Region.

Addressing them, Ofori Acheampong said some teachers deliberately avoid teaching topics that must be taught during normal classes but preserve them for extra classes saying, this is unprofessional and against the ethics of the teaching profession. According to him, there are others too, who when the association declares industrial action, go back secretly to organize extra classes for the children. He warned that GNAT will not come to the aid of any teacher who engages in such activities when the law catches up with him or her.

Mr. Acheampong indicated that members of the teaching profession are not poor but it depends on the way one carries himself or herself. To him salaries of teachers are better than those of most other professionals saying teaching is the safest job in the world in terms of job loss. He asked the young teachers to change their attitude towards the job so that people will respect them.

He said GNAT is trying to raise new teachers with new mentalities and therefore appeal to the teachers to always write lesson notes, mark children’s exercises, and indicate in the log book when they want to absent themselves in order not to have problem with their employers adding that they must also dress well so that the public will take them serious saying, “you must live up to your responsibilities so that the employer will also do her part.”

He assured all teachers whose salaries are in arrears to exercise patience as the association is working it out with government for them to be paid in June this year.