Don’t strike! - Minister appeals to Colleges of Education teachers
The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has appealed to Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) to engage the ministry further on the implementation of negotiated allowances for its members rather than going on strike.
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That, he said, was because going on strike only ended up disrupting the academic calendar, thereby hurting all parties involved.
“When confronted with issues that demand collective efforts to discover solutions, let’s engage the ministry in the spirit of truth and honesty based on an awareness of present conditions and available resources,” he intimated.
The Director of Tertiary Education of the Ministry of Education, Prof. Yayra Dzakadzie read the speech on behalf of the minister at the 13th graduation ceremony of the Seventh Day Adventist College of Education held over the weekend.
It was on the theme, "Empowering the 21st Century teacher with technology and lifelong skills: The role of colleges of education."
The minster said the government was dedicated to creating fair opportunities for staff members to advance in their careers, ensuring that educational institutions became self-sufficient in terms of human resources.
He added that government was leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the smooth operation of colleges of education, and was equally committed to providing students with the best possible education to prepare them for a brighter future.
“In the light of this, the government has released an amount of GH¢241, 913, 000 for the payment of teacher trainee allowance across the country.
“Government has also earmarked some colleges of education to be converted to full-fledged universities in the coming year,” he mentioned.
Funds
Dr Adutwum said the government was determined to provide adequate funding to colleges of education and create an environment that fostered relevance to both national and international development through research and innovative, high-quality teaching and learning that was ICT-driven.
To buttress this, he said about GH¢32 million had been processed for the first batch of book and research allowance payable to eligible senior members of public tertiary institutions across the country.
“Again, government is providing all necessary infrastructure and other academic facilities to enable the effective fulfilment of their primary responsibility as teacher trainers.
“I would like to reassure that the 300-bed capacity hostel projects in the 46 colleges of education are progressing despite some initial setbacks.
On this note, let me also assure SDA College of Education that all projects commenced by the government would be completed in due course,” he added.
Call to action
Dr Adutwum advised the graduates to view their years of training as a call to action because they had been entrusted with the nation’s future through their role of teaching, mentoring, leading, inspiring and nurturing young minds.
“As you step into the classrooms across our great nation, you must remember that you are not just educators; you are architects of the future.
The impact you make on the lives of your students will resonate for generations to come,” the minister added.
The minister urged them to always remain committed to their profession, embrace the opportunities that lie ahead and never stop learning because they had been equipped with the necessary tools to navigate the ever-changing landscape of education.
