GNAT calls for quick disbursements to education sector
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called on the government to build partnerships with progressive unions and civic society groups to monitor disbursements in the education sector.
Mr. John Nyoagbe, Deputy Secretary of GNAT, said the government should make resource allocation to schools and educational establishments timely, regularly and transparent.
He was speaking at the close of a five-day training workshop in Sunyani.
The Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF) and GNAT organised the workshop which was attended by 189 school heads and teachers drawn from the Brong-Ahafo Region.
Mr. Nyoagbe said the education sector should be a promoter and protagonist of equality of opportunity. “We ought to hold on to our belief that education is a public good”.
He appealed to the government not to renege on its responsibility to provide public education of the highest quality for every Ghanaian child.
“The government should be circumspect about building partnership with ‘for-profit’ companies or over-reliance on the private sector in the delivery of education services”, Mr. Nyoagbe said.
He said not being oblivious of the critical role teachers played in effective education, GNAT would continue to invest a substantial part of it revenue in professional development programmes.
Mr. Nyoagbe said the association had not only benefited from its development partner, CTF, but also shared in its expertise to improve upon the country’s educational system.
He expressed concern about disparities in access and participation in early childhood care and education between the urban and the rural communities.
“There are many schools without qualified teachers associated with low teacher morale and weak motivation linked to inadequate pay, poor conditions of service and weak support system”, he said.
Mrs. Debbie Davis-Maybee, the CTF team leader, said Ghana had chalked remarkable success in its democratic dispensation.
Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, commended GNAT for initiating such brilliant ideas and expressed appreciation to the CTF team.
Source: GNA