Saltpond, May 2, GNA - The Mfantseman District branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called on the government to absorb the tuition and examination fees of teachers undertaking the distant education programme.

This, the teachers said would encourage more teachers to stay in the classroom and pursue programmes instead of applying for study leave. This was contained in a resolution passed at the end of the Association's second quadrennial delegates conference at Saltpond. The Association called on the government to outline the criteria for the classification of deprived areas to enable it to implement an incentives package workers in such areas.

It called for the improvement of the Best Teachers' award in the districts to make it more attractive.

Addressing the conference, Mrs Matilda Bannerman-Mensah, District Director of Education called on teachers to be more dedicated and to help Ghanaians to realise that they were one people with a common destiny.

Mrs Bannerman-Mensah urged teachers to cultivate the habit of paying attention to details to set a value for excellence in children. She urged them to ensure that their pupils "dot their I and cross their Ts", to make them to appreciate the value of thoroughness. Mrs Bannerman-Mensah cited greeting cards, which were very well designed but the prints inside contained "simple mistakes". She said Ghanaian producers could not take advantage of the global market if were not thorough.

Mrs Dorcas Ekwam, District Chair Person of the Association appealed to teachers to join the credit union operated by the Association to save them from the moneylenders.

Mr Thomas Baafi, Central Regional GNAT Secretary urged teachers to abide by the code of the Ghana Education Service.