Automatic absorption policy not abolished – Okudzeto

The government has denied that it has abolished the automatic employment of new teachers into the public education system.

Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister in-charge of Tertiary Education, said no such decision had been taken as was being rumored.

Addressing the eighth congregation of the Agogo Presbyterian Women’s College of Education, he stated that, in-spite of the increase in enrollment in all the 38 colleges of education, the nation still had a deficit of trained teachers at the pre-tertiary education level.

It is therefore not the intention of the government now, to do away the policy, which seeks to make more qualified teachers available at the basic level.
Mr Ablakwa also discounted claims that they were planning to introduce a licensing regime for teachers.
He said although, reforms were ongoing in the teacher education sub-sector, a new law to consolidate all the existing laws and the ongoing reforms, was yet to be completed.
Until this was done, government has not proposed any changes to the existing policies.

The Deputy Minister said they were keen to ensure that the reforms were completed to reflect the new status of the Colleges, as tertiary institutions.

He announced that the ministry had concluded negotiations between the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and staff of the Colleges of Education and the report presented to the Finance Ministry for implementation.

Mr. Ablakwa touched on the numerous infrastructure projects that were being undertaken in the Colleges and said these were meant to aid their expansion in anticipation of the increased enrolment in the years ahead.

The Reverend Mrs Esther Agbodeka, Principal of the College, said inadequate accommodation for both students and staff, frequent water shortage, lack of modern computer and science laboratories and a library were its major headache.

Source: GNA