Hon. Betty Idrisu, Minister of Education MUST Issue A Press Statement To Clarify The Issue !!!

All parents want GOOD teachers for their children. Most parents advise their children NOT to enter the teaching profession. What an ANOMALY !!!

In fact parents need not advise their offspring to avoid the teaching profession. The children themselves observe very quickly that it is better to aspire to be a POLITICIAN in Ghana rather than to be a teacher. The reason is OBVIOUS. Ghanaian teachers are doomed to a life of poverty due to the extremely poor conditions of service.

Every Ghanaian knows that the salary of teachers is nothing to write home about. Many teachers are ashamed to disclose their salaries publicly. It is very difficult and almost impossible to obtain official documents stating the salary of various categories of teachers in Ghana. Why ? It is quite easy to access information about Teachers' Salaries in Canada on the internet. Why can one not do the same for teachers in Ghana ?

The following is an extract from the Alberta Teachers Association News published in Edmonton, Alberta. Canada - Volume 46, Number 5 October 25, 2011. The extract is from a report filed by Canadian Teachers, who came to Ghana during the summer period ( July ) to provide a Professional Development workshop for about 200 teachers under Project Overseas:

". The main difficulty new teachers face is finding accommodation, especially in rural areas. The second is related to SALARY - beginning teachers wait an average of EIGHT MONTHS before they get their first pay cheque. Some have waited almost TWO YEARS. Added to this is the fact that a beginning teacher has to pay at least ONE YEAR'S RENT, or sometimes TWO, in advance.

Only a few teachers can access bank loans, so many borrow from family or friends. Following on the heels of delayed payment of salary are the usual problems of LOW salary ( when it is paid ); lack of amenities such as water and toilets; lack of infrastructure { schools under trees ); lack of teaching/learning materials; LARGE classes and lack of support from head teachers ." ( N. B. Capital letters mine just for emphasis. )

How can teachers operating under such stressful conditions, have the peace of mind to prepare properly and teach their students effectively ?

The main purpose of this article is to ask the Minister of Education to explain why the MEAGRE salary of teachers cannot be paid in time to alleviate the difficult conditions under which these teachers work, especially in rural areas.

Most of the teachers, who appear to be doing well, undertake tasks and jobs other than their official teaching job. The extra tasks are done at the expense of their main employment. Guess who suffers !!!. The students at their regular and official schools.

Many politicians and other well-to-do Ghanaians send their children and relatives to good and expensive private schools in Ghana or overseas ( Britain, Europe or North America ), where good teachers are treated as worthy professionals.

As President Obama stated in his best seller "the Audacity of Hope:

" . If we're serious about building a twenty first-century school system, we're going to have to take the TEACHING PROFESSION seriously.. It also means paying teachers what they are WORTH.."

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Over to you !!! Minister of Education.!!!

Lsam@compusmart.ab.ca