Newly Trained Teachers Bare Teeth @ Governemnt Over Removal From Payroll

Newly trained teachers are up in arms with government following the decision by the Finance Ministry to remove them from the government payroll immediately after completing college.

The Ministry recently directed the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to take the newly trained teachers off when they finish school until they are posted to their various stations.

However, the group calling itself Concerned Newly Trained Teachers say, the “newly trained teacher had already been employed by the GES even before he/she completes college”.

A statement signed by National Convener, Emmanuel Gakpo, questioned: “Should the government take away the small allowance which is supposed to cushion us, how do we cope with expenditure such as rent, utilities, feeding, transportation, etc; especially at this time when prices are increasing every day?”

“It becomes very sad that a government that proclaims its social democratic ideologies will even consider taking newly trained teachers off payroll at a time they are engaged and should even be paid their salaries”.

Below is the full statement issued by the Concerned Newly Trained Teachers:

PRESS RELEASE BY CONCERNED NEWLY TRAINED TEACHERS ON THE GOVERNMENT’S POLICY TO TAKE NEWLY TRAINED TEACHERS OFF PAYROLL IMMEDIATELY AFTER COMPLETING COLLEGE

PREAMBLE

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Those were Thomas Jefferson’s words in the popular speech “Declaration of Independence.”

It is only prudent for every human government to organize its activities and policies in respect of those truths.

We entrusted our powers to the government to ensure that we, the people of Ghana, have our happiness safeguarded. It’s rather interesting to note that the government is bent on implementing policies that kill the Ghanaian at the Cheetah’s pace; and those that grow us at a Snail’s pace.

The government implements such policies without the consent of those who are mostly affected. What a tyranny.

One of such policies is the removal of allowances of newly trained teachers soon after completing college.

The fact remains that, The Teacher Trainee had signed an agreement to remain teaching for at least five years, which assured him entitlement to allowance till he becomes a teacher and is fully placed on salary. This implies that, the allowances of teacher trainees are not as free as opponents may wish to see it.

Source: www.myjoyonline.com

Reinstate Pupils Teachers - Northern NPP

Northern Regional Secretariat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has advocated the need for government to reinstate all pupil teachers whose appointments have been terminated.

According to the Ghana Education Service Boss, Aheto Tsegah, the affected pupil teachers failed to upgrade themselves whilst in active service.

This decision, according to the Northern Regional NPP Secretary, Sule Salifu if not reversed will deepen the falling standard of education especially in Northern Ghana where qualified teachers reject postings to deprived communities.

As a political party which is touted for its 2012 flagship campaign philosophy of the free education from the basic to secondary levels, he described government's action as a misplaced priority.

“This action by government will worsen the plight of the Northern Region educationally because many of the primary schools are largely manned by pupil teachers and their dismissal by the John Mahama NDC administration will slow down the pace of academic work and knowledge acquisition by northern pupils.”

He implored government to rather encourage unemployed graduates to teach in schools.

This in Sule Salifu’s estimation will reduce the nation’s skyrocketed unemployment rate.

On the recent sod cutting exercises by President John Dramani Mahama to upgrade the Tamale Airport and to complete the abandoned Tamale Aboabo Sheanut and grains market, Sule Salifu described it as one of the governing NDC’s political gimmicks.

He cited the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and the Buipe Sheanut factory as what he described as some failed projects executed by government in the Northern Region.

Source: Citionline