Newly posted trained teachers cry foul

Tamale, July 10, GNA - Newly posted trained teachers in the Tamale Metropolis have appealed to the government to as a matter of urgency pay their salaries, that had been in arrears for the past eleven months, to save them from the current hardship that they were going through. The appeal was contained in a statement issued in Tamale on Wednesday and signed by Mr. Alhassan Abdul Lateef, Secretary for the newly posted trained teachers.

"It is rather with a sad recall that we wish to state that we were posted on September 1, 2007 to join the noble profession as it is supposed to be.

"However, it is unfortunate that we still find it difficult to comprehend the 'nobility' of the teaching profession as a result of how we are being treated," the statement said.

Mr. Lateef said the undue delay in the payments of their salaries, which was unprecedented, had resounding effects on the discharge of their duties and called for an immediate remedy to the problem. He said it had become difficult for them to cope with the current rates of accommodation and feeding, since most of the schools they were posted to have no accommodation facilities for teachers. According to the statement most of the teachers travelled long distances to their stations and the cost involved was so high that they could not survive on the merger allowances given to them. They said series of enquiries made to authorities concerned have not received any response and therefore appealed to the government to come to their aid by remedying the situation.