Teachers cautioned against sale in classrooms

Mankessim (C/R), Feb. 1, GNA - Miss Vivian Etroo, Mfantseman District Director of Education, has cautioned teachers, especially females, against the sale of pastries and confectionery in their classrooms.

Miss Etroo said the practice where some teachers used their influence to sell items, like ice cream, pastries and other confectionery to their pupils on credit, forcing them to use money provided for their meals at school to pay, should stop immediately. "Introducing the young ones to borrowing is unacceptable and should not be encouraged", she stressed.

The District Director for Education gave the caution when she met teachers from Mankessim circuit as part of her familiarization tour of the District.

She exhorted teachers who desert their classes to go and trade in the market to stop the practice.

Miss Etroo appealed to School Management Committees (SMCs) and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to support their schools to institute measures to entice children to school on market days.

"School activities should be made more interesting on market days to encourage children to remain in school," she advised. Miss Etroo reminded teachers that their output would be judged by the performance of their pupils and advised them to be dedicated to the work.

Mr Anthony Boison, Assistant Director in charge of Human Resource Management Division (HRMD) announced that the Ghana Education Service (GES) had decided to grant study leave with pay to 3,000 teachers to pursue courses in the universities this year and advised them to take note of subject areas which attracted leave with pay before filling their forms.

Mr Bennet Musah Biney, Assistant Director in charge of Supervision said painstakingly-prepared lesson notes enhanced efficient teaching and urged teachers to stop engaging students to copy old lesson notes for them.

Mr Anthony Obbin, Assistant Director in charge of Finance and Administration reminded teachers not to regard promotions in the GES as automatic and said they were based on the teachers' hard work and comportment.

Mr Hakeem Hayford, Assistant Director in charge of Statistics briefed the teachers on how to fill questionnaires for their school population.