PPP promises teachers their due

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.