The various teacher unions namely; Teachers & Educational Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Coalition of Concern Teachers (CCT) have vowed to resist attempts by the Ministry of Education to privatize, commercialize and commodify public education in the country.
This follows government’s decision to hand over 100 public schools to private individuals and groups to run a pilot project to be funded through a loan and a grant under a partnership dubbed: “Ghana Partnerships Schools (GPS).
Speaking on Atinka FM’s morning show “AM Drive” Wednesday morning with Ekourba Gyasi, Women Commissioner for Coalition of Concern Teachers (CCT), Vida Sapabil, asked government to rather make available adequate resources as well as capitation grant on time for the effective management of these public schools.
Vida Sapabil cited the National Development Planning Commission Report in 2014 which listed among other things an increase the number of qualified teachers, increase Salaries and pay attention to deprived areas, and an improvement and relevance in the curriculum needed to boost the public education sector.
She noted that these factors listed by the National Development Planning Commission report in 2014 are yet to be implemented by the Ministry of Education.
“In these private schools, the parents are responsible for almost everything. There is strict and proper supervision in private schools than the public schools. The circuit supervisors lack subventions needed to go round and monitor the teachers in these schools,” she added.
The Ministry of Education has, however, described the agitations of the teacher unions as pre-mature, adding that it is still in consultations with relevant stakeholders to take a solid decision on the issue.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu Boatemaa
