Teachers ask GES to name deprived areas

Gomoa Aboso (C/R), March 23, GNA -Teachers in Aboso circuit of the Gomoa district have appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to name areas it considers as deprived in the country.

The teachers said such a list would make their colleagues working in those areas to know that they were entitled to certain incentives including the award of study leave, as the GES had promised. In a three-point resolution passed by the teachers at a meeting with the regional secretary of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) at Gomoa Aboso, the teachers also urged the Social Security and National Insurance Trust to produce statement of account for contributors to the scheme.

The resolution appealed to GES not to transfer teachers if transfer grants cannot be paid readily.

Mr Thomas Baafi, the Regional GNAT Secretary, said the essence of his visit was to "pull members along" to enable them know the policies of the association and also to brief them about pertinent issues emanating from its consultation with the GES headquarters. Mr Baafi discussed the findings of the Anamoah-Mensah Committee, which has recommended a two-year pre-school education, six-year primary, four-year JSS and another four-year SSS education.

He said under the new system, a primary school teacher should hold a diploma whilst a JSS teacher should hold a first degree. The Regional GNAT Secretary exhorted teachers to take advantage of the distance education programme to up-grade their qualifications in order to remain in the system.