The President has just told teachers his piece of mind.
Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. He minced no words. You could hear the sneering tone of his voice. That is how he sees the teaching profession.
He admitted that the teaching profession has played an enormous role in shaping the minds and developing the human resource base of the country.
However, he as the ultimate authority, who has the mandate to improve the working conditions of the Ghanaian teacher, thinks that, the teaching profession is not and cannot be an avenue for any dedicated teacher to make good money and therefore become a billionaire.
Such a sentiment should only inform the Ghanaian teacher of how serious the government takes the work of the teacher. We have seen the manner in which the New Curriculum is being implemented. The way no one is actually considering the input of its implementer- the teacher.
Teachers are not lazy. Most Ghanaian teachers are already cracking the whip- doing other jobs in order to survive under this harsh economic conditions.
They are not asking for sky bathing jets, not spousal salaries, neither are they demanding car loans for V8s of which 60% would be borne by the state nor are they seeking to make overnight and unreasonable fortune out of their teaching job. They just want better working conditions, payment of all policy recommended and deserved allowances, timely upgrading and promotions, payment of their overpoliticised and lingering salary arrears and most importantly, better retirement packages after their long years of dedicated services to mother Ghana.
President Joe Biden of America in a meeting with the largest teacher unions, stated that, the pandemic has given America’s parents the ‘ultimate education’ on the challenges of the teaching profession. But even more, he said, “the last year has proved that teachers across the US deserve higher pay”…
Nothing could have been more motivating and encouraging to any teacher in any country than to hear their President give them such kind words as the President of America did.
Sadly, when the Ghanaian teacher is struggling to even come to terms with the reality that their salary shall see an annual increment of only 4% then bam, the number one man of their country hits them with such uncharitable and disincentivising words……
We deserve better!
