Accra, June 23, GNA – Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education on Wednesday reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing outstanding issues affecting teachers upgrading, responsibility allowance, transfer grant and promotion to aid effective teaching and learning.
The Minister, in a speech read on his behalf at an Investment Summit in Accra, said the government would help to improve the living and working conditions of teachers and workers in the country.
The Summit, organised by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), was on the theme: “Making Our Teachers Economically Sound.”
“The issue of how to improve pensions of the Ghanaian worker and for that matter teachers has been on the radar for a while as efforts are being made to ensure immediate resolution to the issue,” he said.
Dr Adutwum commended the leadership of GNAT for the foresight and the desire to lift its members out of unattractive living conditions.
“Investment is a very important move to sustain not only the national economy but individual economies.
“Workers comfort is national comfort; hence the government is committed to partnering with GNAT to improve the living conditions of Teachers,” he said.
The Minister said the government would continue to put in place interventions and policies to improve educational standards including National Education Institute, Teacher welfare App, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education, among others.
To help teachers function effectively, he said the government was making available 280,000 laptops to teachers on a cost-sharing basis to equip them in the delivery of their lessons through technology.
That, the Minister said would help the teacher to search for information on the internet on relevant issues that could help them perform their duties creditably.
Mrs Philipa Larsen, the GNAT President, said the Association had put in place policies to mitigate the sufferings of teachers because a demotivated teacher could not give of his best to improve effective learning.
She said GNAT had invested in Credit Mall Limited, Teachers’ Fund, Unique Insurance Company, Aviance and other portfolios to make the Association resilient and financially strong.
Mr Kwame Pianim, an Economist, urged GNAT to seek the Bank of Ghana’s approval to invest 10 per cent of Teacher’s Fund externally in second round high-tech start-ups and focus on African Continental Free Trade Area markets with relatively stable currencies.
“The Fund must be a formidable dominant investment thinking strategically locally but operating successfully and competitively globally,” he said.
GNA