Increase retirement age from 60 to 65 - Amenowode

Anfoega, May 17, GNA - Mr Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister on Saturday called for the extension of the compulsory retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

He said this would curb the huge personnel shortfall in certain areas of endeavour such as education. Mr Amenowode, who was addressing the 45th Anniversary and Speech and Prize-Giving Day of the Anfoega Senior High School, said while the country complained of lack teachers, many competent, experienced and still fit ones were leaving the service every year on retirement. The Regional Minister's comment was in reaction to an appeal by Mr Peter Hayibor, Board Chairman of the school's for a suitable replacement of Ms Margaret Katty Krampah, Headmistress, soon to go on retirement, whose astuteness as a manager, he said, had brought remarkable progress to the school.

Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, Minister of Education said the issue of retirement age of teachers especially, was under serious consideration. He hinted that any law to that effect would be discriminatory, allowing for only teachers assessed to be competent to continue in service after 60 years and not those "who only struggle to stay on the pay roll".

Mr Tettey-Enyo said government was committed to ensuring quality education for all and was doing all it could to provide the infrastructure, logistics and skills training to meet the exigencies of the time. 17 May 10