Teachers play a pivotal role in nurturing the future leaders, future leaders whose upbringing is shaped by a teacher. The history of Ghanaian teachers revealed how speechless they are despite taking home nothing better to write home about.
Teachers go through rigorous teaching training to be issued with a certificate of approval before finally being released to the class room.
I recount my first experience when I had no option than to move from the central region to Bono Manso to teach. An area I had no idea about but once I have chosen this profession, I have to execute my duty at post without complaint.
Teachers go through so many challenges but silence remains their possible option.
Teachers rent houses, buy goods from the same market, politicians and other office holders purchase items. But their net salary can’t match with the very people they trained or prepared for the job market.
Have you had contact with your retired nursery teacher? What about retired politicians or office holders? Honestly the difference is very clear.
This is the reason why when asked about their future occupation, teaching remains the last resort.
Who determines the condition of service of teachers? Do they have representatives during bargaining? What mechanism is put in place to determine their condition of service so that the profession becomes more attractive and better for the ordinary teacher whose entire life is to be sacrificed to raise a Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer, Nurse, Bank Manager, Politicians and the farmer.
Union leaders are the mouthpiece of teachers, whenever these union raise concerns of teachers, key stakeholder who is supposed to be proactive in their response remain adamant until strike is declared then part of labour act is quoted to declare their strike illegal because they are better off than the teacher and powerful due to the position offered by appointment with fat salary scale and a better condition of service.
Teachers are only demanding adjustment of their take home pay by introducing certain allowances which includes: House allowance, Rent allowance, Assessment allowance, Utility allowance. Transport/commuting allowance and Deprive area allowance.
Consider the huge amount of salaries received by other institutions and politicians, in fact teachers are really suffering especially those in the city and deprived areas. Some teachers move far far from where they deliver lessons and this adds up cost to their expenditure. How do you want a teacher to feel comfortable when psychologically things are not balancing in his or her pocket?
Government should note that these same teachers will be working on the ballot papers, direct, add up and declare winners when necessary. Breaking the eight will be aided by teachers if you make their condition a successful one, even though it is a difficult target reading from the ground and abysmal records known to Ghanaians. Many Ghanaian teachers have gone abroad seeking for greener pastures which can guarantee their future betterment.
Why can’t we pay teachers well upon all the great mineral resources God has blessed us with like Gold, bauxite, petroleum, Magnesium and so forth?
Government leaves a legacy where teachers can remember you, the professional allowance shouldn’t be fixed, inflation keeps on fluctuating every second.
Source: Emmanuel Ahadzi| Contributor
