Teachers are the pillars of every good educational system. Teachers are the pillars of democracy. Developing nations must realize that without a solid efficient educational system, the chances of ever becoming developed are zero. Developing countries need well-qualified, well-paid and respected teachers to handle the most important possession of any nation (the children ), the future generation.

The Alberta Teachers Association is recognized as one of the best professional teachers’ organizations in North America and Europe. Teachers in Alberta are considered true professionals. They are regarded as the pillars of basic education. They are reasonably well-paid and considered the true pillars of democracy. This status was NOT easily achieved. The ATA was inaugurated in 1918.

The Association had to struggle and pass through many legal negotiations to be accepted as the legitimate organization to represent professional teachers. One of the most important persons involved in the early struggle of Teachers in Alberta was John Walker Barnett. To honour him, the headquarters of the Association in Edmonton is known as Barnett House.

In this article, I intend to use my personal experiences as a teacher in Alberta to discuss ATA as a professional body and suggest how GNAT may benefit by emulating some of the principles and practices used by ATA. This may help make the teaching profession in Ghana respectable.

The 5 areas to be considered are:

1. Making sure that all teachers are fully qualified and certified.

2. Making sure that all teachers are involved in continuing education and professional development.

3. Making sure that teachers receive a fair SALARY scale and good conditions of service.

4. Making sure that teachers abide by the Professional Code of ethics.

5. Making sure that teachers have a reliable RETIREMENT fund set up to provide excellent retirement benefits.

The ATA ensures that all teachers in the public system are fully qualified to be in the classrooms of Alberta. It has the legal authority to issue teaching licences (Certificates) to qualified individuals to teach in Alberta.

When I applied to the County of Smoky to teach, the superintendent, Mr. John Bacon offered me a position as a science teacher. He directed me to forward all my University transcripts and relevant documents to ATA ( Barnett House, 11010-142 Street. Edmonton, Alberta ) for evaluation. The Qualification Board determined that I had 4 years of University Education and 8 years of acceptable teaching experience.

This decided my level on the salary scale. To encourage teachers to be involved in continuing education, ATA has a policy that whenever a teacher completes four graduate-level courses in education at the University, he/she should be credited with one year of University education. These courses are offered in the evenings and in summer school.

Within six years, I managed to complete 8 courses mainly in Educational Technology and curriculum development. The Qualification Board raised my status to 6 years of University education. Teachers with Ph. D. degrees are automatically classified as having 7 years of University education.

In the county of Smoky Lake, there was a grade 1 teacher with a Ph.D. degree in early childhood art.

I strongly suggest that GNAT should get involved in setting up qualification standards for teachers. The idea that anyone who can read and write can be a teacher should be critically examined.

There is no designation as pupil doctors, pupil engineers, pupil dentists, pupil pharmacists, and pupil lawyers. Why should there be pupil teachers? All teachers should have a decent minimum standard of training.

Professional development is absolutely necessary for the teaching profession. People who are interested in learning can inspire others to learn. The ATA has got many specialist councils that organize professional development activities for their members. Many of these councils are subject-based: Science Council
Mathematics Council
School Library Council
Health and Physical Education Council

Early Childhood Council

Industrial Arts Council

Business Education Council etc.

Many of the professional development activities are held in holiday resort areas such as Jasper and Banff National Parks.

This allows teachers to combine their development with their family holidays.

Negotiating a fair salary scale for teachers is one of the most important functions of ATA. These negotiations are not easy. There have been many occasions when teachers had to go on strike to back their salary demands.

About two years ago a group known as the Tax Payers Federation started a campaign to get the salary of teachers in Alberta cut by 10%.

They claimed that the teachers in Alberta are overpaid. ATA fought back furiously to defeat the group. It is not easy to establish what is considered a fair salary. In my opinion, a fair salary scale should be linked with home ownership.

GNAT should strive to negotiate for a salary scale that enables a teacher with a Bachelor of Education Degree (B.Ed.) and ten years of teaching experience be at a financial level that would qualify him/her to get a bank mortgage loan to purchase at least a 1000 sq. ft., two - bedroom bungalow with a kitchen and bathroom.

In Alberta, a teacher with a similar qualification can afford a 2400sq. ft. home. Houses of this calibre are usually two—storey with 4- bedrooms and an attached garage. After teaching in Alberta for 8 years, I was able to qualify for a mortgage to purchase a 1200sq. ft. 3-bedroom bungalow.

Due to poor conditions of service, many competent teachers in Ghana leave the classroom. Talented teachers in biology, chemistry, social studies, mathematics and physics leave to become doctors, politicians, lawyers and diplomats. GNAT should find ways and means of stopping this exodus. President Akufo-Addo recently promised to improve the conditions of service of teachers. In 2018 he stated:

“TEACHING WILL NO LONGER BE A STOP-GAP MEASURE OR A JOB OF LAST RESORT BUT A VIABLE CHOICE TO ENTER A WELL-PAID AND WELL-RESPECTED PROFESSION WITH LONG-TERM CAREER PROSPECTS AND GOOD BENEFITS”.

GNAT should do everything possible to draw his attention to an important statement made by President Obama in his book Audacity of Hope. Obama emphasized:

“If we’re serious about building a twenty-first Century school system, we’re going to have to take the teaching profession seriously.”

President Biden also recently stated:

“Teachers deserve a raise, not just praise”

The ATA has a strict Code of Ethics. Details of the code are available in the membership handbook. A summary of the code is available in the small membership diary. The ATA Discipline Committee deals drastically with teachers who break the code. In serious cases, teaching licences are permanently withdrawn.

ATA has a retirement fund. Teachers contribute a certain percentage of their monthly income to the fund. The government also puts some money into the fund.

The retirement fund is managed by a special body known as ATRF (Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund) The body invests the fund. At the moment the fund is worth several billion dollars. Retired teachers are paid their monthly benefits from this fund. For more information on ATRF VISIT:

ATRF.com info@ATRF.com

I strongly suggest that the Executives of GNAT should try to establish a sort of relationship with ATA. This may enable the exchange of good ideas.

Through its summer activity known as ‘Project Overseas’, ATA has sent many teachers to work with Ghanaian teachers.

May God bless the teaching profession, the father of all the other professions.

lsam@interbaun.com
www.mrleosam.com