Better pay, allowances coming for teachers, nurses – Opoku-Agyemang

Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has said the next government to be formed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), should the party win the 2020 polls, will give teachers and nurses better remuneration and allowances.

She also assured teachers and nursing trainees of innovative financial interventions, including increased training allowances and educational loan facilities to facilitate their successful training.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang, a former Minister of Education, gave the assurance during separate interactions with trainee teachers and representatives of teacher unions at the Gbewaa College of Education and trainee nurses at the Bolgatanga Nursing Training College and other professional bodies at Bolgatanga on Saturday, on the last day of her tour of the Upper East region.

The Vice Presidential candidate indicated that the yet-to-be-launched NDC manifesto has a comprehensive action plan to proactively address the needs of trainee teachers and nurses.

“Our manifesto is of a different nature this time,” she said, adding that there are innovative policies that would enable the NDC government to build on its enviable achievements and do more for the teaching and nursing professions.

In addition, she said the new policy programmes in the manifesto, designed to enable Ghanaians to achieve their aspirations, has incorporated the views of the various teaching and nursing professional groups, as a measure to ensure all-inclusive governance.

“We need to work together by listening to each other. We need to be non-discriminatory, we need to plan together. Today, when your leaders ask me what we will do when we come to power, I also ask them, what do you want us to do for you? We want to arrive together, so, we must do things together,” Prof Opoku-Agyemang stated.

Responding to questions from the participants on various concerns including professional upgrading, recruitment and maternity leave, Prof Opoku-Agyemang explained that as part of the policy measures to be pursued by the next NDC government, the teacher upgrading structure would be streamlined and enhanced to ensure fairness, adding that Distance education students who are currently exempted from government teacher recruitment, would be offered equal recruitment opportunities.

Regarding maternity leave, the former Education Minister said maternity leave for teachers, nurses and other professionals would be extended from the present three months to four months.

“Giving four months of maternity leave to women is in order,” the running mate stressed.