GNAT advises members to be professional
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has launched the 2016 World Teachers Day with a call on its members to conduct themselves professionally in the discharge of their duties.
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Launching the 85th anniversary celebration, the acting President of GNAT, Ms Philippa Larsen, said the call was to highlight the decline in professionalism, as a result of the sub-standard teacher preparation programmes, and the infringement on academic freedom and professional autonomy.
She said GNAT engaged in a lot of activities that promoted education delivery in the country, and that the annual programmes meant to sharpen the pedagogical skills of its members in the subject areas were organised to ensure improved delivery in teaching in schools.
“Between July 10 to 30, 2016, a total of 1,282 teachers benefited from GNAT Nkabom In-Service Training programmes in the Ashanti, Eastern and Volta regions,” she said.
Teacher trainee allowance
Speaking on the teacher trainee allowance (TTA), Ms Larsen described the scrapping of the allowance in 2014 by the government, which was replaced with the students’ loan, as “counter-productive”.
She explained that the idea of TTA was, initially, to support needy, brilliant students who could not afford fees at the universities, and added that as a result, principals at the colleges of education admitted a limited number of trainees.
She said the products of those colleges were made to sign a bond which ensured that they served the nation within the bond period in order for the government to benefit from the investment made in them.
Ms Larsen indicated that a number of those trainees retired in the profession.
Assisting the needy
As part of the celebration, GNAT has assisted the Kwanteng D/A Primary School in the Asutifi South District in the Brong Ahafo Region with a two-unit Pavilion Classroom Block for the Kindergarten department.
Again, 50 pupils from Baniantwer SDA Basic in the Kintampo District and Mensahkrom SDA Basic in the Sunyani Municipality would receive school uniforms, schoolbags, canvas boots, textbooks and stationery to motivate them to be in school.
World Teachers Day
World Teachers Day (WTD) is a day set aside to celebrate teachers whose immense contribution to national development cannot be ignored.
This year’s Teachers Day is scheduled to take place on October 5, 2016 at the Jubilee Park, Sunyani,in the Brong Ahafo Region on the theme: “Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status.”
