GES Compromising the Attainment of SDG4 – CSO
The CSOs Platform on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Sub-Platform 4 (SDG4) is deeply worried about recent reports emanating from various media outlets of alleged inhumane treatments meted out to teachers by GES whenever they are invited for training workshops.
The reported cases of unfair treatments meted out to Ghanaian teachers at such training programs are becoming one too many. We recall with sadness how Ghanaian teachers were treated at a workshop organized by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NaCCA) in 2019, a workshop meant to train teachers on the new school curriculum. During the training, teachers were not fed well, their TxT expenses and sitting allowances were nothing to write home about, a situation which was condemned by majority of Ghanaians especially players in the educational sector.
Barely few days ago, Form 3 Core Subject teachers, numbering over 200 from Greater Accra, Oti and Volta Regions who were brought to University of Ghana for a four-day in-service training on how to adequately equip students ahead of the 2020 West African Schools Certificate Examination (WASSCE) were left stranded for hours before the training commenced, a situation which again led credence to the alleged neglect and maltreatment of teachers by officials of the GES.
Teachers from the northern part of the country including Upper East, West, Northern, Savanna and North East regions were not spared the ordeal of the maltreatment by GES.
The affected teachers complained bitterly about the poor quality of food and dusty rooms given them to sleep. Training materials were not made available for the said training making it difficult for the teachers to understand why they were even invited to be trained.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to understand why teachers’ welfare does not really matter to those mandated to promote and protect same. The frustrations teachers have to go through at workshops in recent times due to improper budgeting and planning on the part of GES is unacceptable and must not be allowed to continue.
Our question to GES is how do you expect angry teachers to teach students for good learning outcomes? Truth be told, the attainment of SDG4 in Ghana is being threatened by the continues maltreatment of Ghanaian teachers by people in positions of trust and the earlier we reverse this situation, the better for all of us.
As CSOs advocating for inclusive, accessible and quality education for all, we are respectfully calling on the Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Minister of Education to investigate the troubling issues surrounding the unfortunate happenings whenever there is training for Ghanaian teachers to avert future occurrences.
Issued by: Communication Directorate, SDG4.
For Interviews Contact:
Mrs. Joyce Larnyo
(Convener, SDG4)
0200221014
Mr. Peter Bismark
(ILAPI)
0244169361
Cc:
- Minister of Education, Accra-Ghana
- Director General of Ghana Education Service (GES)
- Director of Public Relations, GES
- Advisor to the President on the SDGs, Jubilee House, Accra
- All Media Houses
