Veep asks education unions to exhaust channels of negotiations
Vice President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur has called on labour unions within the education sector to endeavour to exhaust the channels of negotiations before embarking on strikes.
He said this would create the necessary peace and tranquillity within the sector which would in turn pave the way for effective planning and development.
Vice President Amissah-Arthur made the call during the 19th Edition of the National Best Teacher Award ceremony in Wa, which was on the theme: “A call for Teachers; Teachers Take the Lead for Quality Education.”
He listed said the unions as Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers, Teachers and Educational Workers Union, and the recent formed Coalition of Concerned Teachers.
Vice President Amissah-Arthur said government would maintain an open door policy in dealing with teacher unions.
He said it was in this vein that government partnered the teacher unions to acquire means of transport and offered tax exemptions on them.
According to the Vice President, the Auto Scheme for Teachers had contributed significantly in boosting their morale.
He said government received proposals from teacher unions for assistance to provide affordable houses for their members.
Government is also making more funds available through the Public Sector Home Loan Scheme being operated through the HFC Bank.
Vice President Amissah-Arthur said in the last four years, Government had introduced interventions in the education sector to achieve quality education at all levels.
Some of these interventions include the elimination of about 1,800 schools under trees, the expansion of the School Feeding Programme, provision of nearly 1.6 million school uniforms and about 32 million exercise books to pupils in deprived areas in the 2012/13 academic year.
“There has also been the provision of about 60, 000 laptop computers to basic school students and 50,000 to teachers,” he added.
In relation to the needs of teachers, the Vice President said Government had upgraded the colleges of education to tertiary status and that 10 colleges are to be established to focus on the training of early childhood teachers.
Vice President Amissah Arthur said as Government contribute its quota towards the welfare of teachers it is expected that they reciprocate by taken the lead in the provision of quality education.
Source: GNA