5 teachers impregnated their teenage students not 301 - Deputy GNAT Secretary clarifies

The Assistant Central Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teacher (GNAT), Mr. Nicholas Taylor has rubbished claims that about 301 teachers from the area are alleged to have impregnated teenage students.

According to him, he has personally kicked against the findings conducted by Ghana Health Service (GHS) in collaboration with the Department of Gender and Challenged them to provide further and better particulars of the claim.

“I, further, called on the Ghana Health Service (which the gender department said was the source of the data) to assist us with details to know where these teachers work and their districts because our research at our Education offices across the region did not tally with their data”, he stated in a reaction.

Mr. Nicholas Taylor who doubts authenticity of the figures bandied around, however disclosed that five teachers have been identified across the region to have been involved

“One was a yoghurt seller who teaches a girl in the evenings and took advantage of her. One was service personnel and the remaining three teachers have their cases at disciplinary committees with one of them recommended for removal”, he stated

He also denied saying his colleagues teachers are indeed impregnating students and asked all the school heads to sack or sanction any teacher who will impregnate his student to serve as a deterrent to others explaining that he has not got that power to call for the sack of teachers.

Read full text of his response to our article

REJOINDER: TEACHERS IN CENTRAL REGION NOTED FOR IMPREGNATING TEENAGE STUDENTS.

My attention has been drawn to portions of a publication attributed to me by your media outlet MYNEWSGH. COM on the above heading published on 10th December 2017.

In the said publication I was, unfortunately, quoted in the following words : “The Central Regional Assistant Secretary of Ghana National Association of Teachers ( GNAT), Mr. Nicholas Taylor was shocked on hearing reports that his colleagues teachers are indeed impregnating students and asked all the school heads to sack or sanction any teacher who will impregnate his student to serve as a deterrent to others”.

I demand immediate RETRACTION of those portions of the publication which I was purported to have said because I NEVER SAID THOSE THINGS IN THE PUBLICATION.

FACTS:The Gender Department of the Central Region Organised a dialogue on what Men could do to curb teenage pregnancies in the Central Region at the Gomoa West District Assembly Hall, Apam on 6th December 2017.

During the opening remarks of the program the Regional Gender Director, Mrs. Thy will E. Kpe put out some data which were collected by the Ghana Health Service at the various clinics and hospitals showing people who were responsible for such teenage pregnancies in the Region.

She repeated a data that had been put out early this year which our Association had disputed the authenticity of those pregnancies purported to have been caused by teachers.

When I got the opportunity to speak at the program,

I categorically challenged the data, told the gathering about procedures in the GES for handling such cases and that those 301 teachers purported to have caused the pregnancies have not been hauled before any disciplinary committee where we (as an Association) represent teachers.

I went further to point out that GNAT will not assume that all teachers were angels but if there were isolated cases which were not proven and data was thrown out there that teachers were impregnating teenage students, it was unfair to the teaching profession .

I , further, called on the Ghana Health Service (which the gender department said was the source of the data) to assist us with details to know where these teachers work and their districts because our research at our Education offices across the region did not tally with their data.

I said at the program that we educate our members on avoiding such practices and we will keep educating them not to do anything that brings the image of the profession into disrepute .

I showed results of a research we tasked our district GNAT secretaries in the region to conduct on this same topic which proved that out of the Five teachers identified across the region to have been involved: One was a yoghurt seller who teaches a girl in the evenings and took advantage of her. One was a service personel and the remaining three teachers have their cases at disciplinary committees with one of them recommended for removal.

I then expressed my displeasure at the way all teachers were lumped together and given that misleading Headline.

Finally, as a unionist and having been a professional teacher for 17 years, I know the procedure for sacking teachers in GES and will NEVER ask Headmasters to sack teachers. Even when a teacher is found guilty of an offence that requires dismissal, it’s the Director General or the GES council that has the mandate to do so.

Let me say that PEACE FM had a correspondent at the program and she has an audio recording of some of the issues I raised. GTV was there as well with other media houses. Your online reporter HAJIA ASANA GORDON who was the source of the news was there and I granted her interview as well.

I am utterly worried that with all that I said at the program including the interview granted, your reporter chose to write what she feels I should say.

I NEVER SAID ANY OF THE WORDS attributed to me in the said publication and I demand that in the spirit of fairness my Rejoinder is given equal prominence and a retraction done accordingly.

It’s indeed an embarrassment to me.

Thank you

NICHOLAS TAYLOR

(asst. Reg. GNAT sec. – C/R)