The leadership of the Progressive People’s
Party (PPP) has stated that teachers are the real tactical link to providing
quality education, hence the party, when voted into national administration,
would ensure consistent motivation of teachers for the realization of that goal.
The party made that statement in a
presentation to the leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers
(GNAT) at a forum in Accra called by the leadership of the association to allow
all political parties place before its members what plans each has for it once
that party gets into national administration.
The PPP admitted Ghana’s education system lacks, among other
things, the much needed quality, and yesteryear’s strict monitoring of
performance.
The PPP took the position that poor and inadequate teacher motivation is
the singular factor at the centre of the poor performance by students at all
levels of the education structure.
“Low remuneration and poor conditions
of service hinder our teachers from delivering quality service, stated the
party along with the proposition that, “In addition to [adequate] financial
rewards, capacity-building [for teachers] will be helpful.”
The PPP promised to change the
current poor morale among teachers and make them proud of their profession, and
explained that that remains the only way we can attract more personnel into the
field to solve the problem of manpower shortage/inadequacy in this education
sector.
“We must build houses for our
teachers or make it possible for them to own homes as part of improvement in
educational facilities countrywide,” stated the PPP.
Previewing trends in many foreign
countries that, today, are economically resilient, the PPP re-stated its
intention not only to give free compulsory education but also to invest in the
human resource who delivers the training, teachers.
The party promised to upgrade Teacher Training Colleges into
universities and improve facilities and equipment on their campuses. That,
according to the party, would make teaching a matter of choice and not a means
to an end for most of those who choose the profession as the situation is
today.
According to the third force in
Ghana’s politics, the environment in which teaching is delivered is equally
crucial in achieving quality learning, and lamented the enormous pressure on
facilities as many teachers and students compete for limited spaces. This does
not allow for better teaching and learning, the party argued.
With statistics showing that the
gender gap in schools is gradually closing up, the PPP pointed out that the
challenge now is to ensure that investments made in education translates into
good results.
To put all aspects in good stead, the
party with the red rising sun for logo also promised to strengthen monitoring
and supervisory bodies at all levels of education to ensure teachers are
efficient and effective.
The PPP took the position that [“the
monitoring and supervisory] team will be made answerable to government when
students’ performance is not impressive. We need to treat this business of
education as real business, holding people accountable for their actions and
inactions.”
The party re-affirmed its educational policy of ensuring free,
compulsory and continuous education in public schools from kindergarten to
Senior High School, and went on to explain to teachers that its policy will
shift the minimum required standard of education from the Junior High School
(JHS) to the Senior High School (SHS.)
“Our education policy is different from the ‘expanding access’ outlined
by the NDC administration’s President John D. Mahama and the ‘free Senior High
School education’ proposed by the NPP Presidential aspirant, Nana Akufo-Addo,”
the statement read.
The party further explained that its policy recognizes the need to
expand educational facilities to ensure every child’s demand for access is met,
plus ensuring that “free Senior High School education” is a right to all
children and will throw out the current situation where SHS is a privilege
because only those who “manage” to pass BECE examination can secure a place in
and advance to SHS.
The party affirmed that proper education is a better driver of a
nation’s economy than gold, oil & gas and other natural resources. “Without
it our natural resources become huge burdens on all citizens,” the PPP
re-affirmed.
The PPP proposed funding its vision of free, compulsory, continuous
education vision with rescued government revenue – primarily, by reducing
waste, ensuring competent administration and checking corruption.
The PPP has estimated that the total
incremental budget allocation for implementing its education policy in the
first 5 years is GH?5.5 billion.
“If
you vote for PPP, the PPP will not win power. You as Ghanaian citizens will win
power, no matter whether you are Christian, Muslim, NPP, NDC, PNC PPP, male or
female, young or old,” the PPP concluded.
