By Daniel Agbesi Latsu, GNA
Kadjebi (O/R), Oct. 5, GNA – Ms Victoria Enyonam Klugah, Kadjebi District Chairperson of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), has called on the Government to pay teachers promptly, provide adequate resources and respect their collective agreements to motivate them to deliver quality education.
She said teachers remained the “architects of the future” and deserved the necessary economic, professional and digital support to effectively shape the next generation.
Ms Klugah made the call in a speech to mark the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration, which was on the theme: “Empowering Teachers: Architects of the Future.”
She said the theme underscored the critical role teachers played in shaping every profession and contributing to national development.
She noted that the celebration also marked 60 years of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which called for the protection and empowerment of teachers to perform their duties effectively.
Ms Klugah said the concerns of teachers in Ghana must be addressed honestly, citing the nationwide strike declared by the three pre-tertiary teacher unions – GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG – over outstanding conditions of service.
She mentioned the expired Collective Agreement, promotion arrears affecting thousands of teachers, and delays in the payment of the 20 per cent Deprived Area Allowance as some of the major concerns.
“These are not just figures. They represent motivation, dignity, and fairness. An architect cannot build the future with an empty toolbox,” she said.
Ms Klugah acknowledged efforts by the Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, and President John Dramani Mahama towards resolving the concerns, including the establishment of a team involving the Ministries of Finance and Education and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department.
She expressed hope that the planned engagement at the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission on October 6 would produce a lasting solution to the outstanding issues.
On economic empowerment, Ms Klugah called for timely payment of salaries, automatic placement of promoted teachers on appropriate salary scales, and respect for collective agreements.
She said the Deprived Area Allowance should not be treated as charity but as a form of recognition for teachers serving in hard-to-reach communities.
She also called for greater professional autonomy for teachers and their involvement in policymaking, saying teachers must have a voice in decisions affecting the education sector.
On digital empowerment, Ms Klugah urged the Government and the Ghana Education Service to provide teachers with training in artificial intelligence, coding and digital literacy to enable them to prepare learners for the future.
She said although teachers and the Government were partners in education, a demotivated teacher could not be expected to produce excellent learners.
“To empower teachers means we must move from promises to implementation,” she said.
Ms Klugah said she was able to reach her current position because “one teacher somewhere refused to give up” on her, adding that teachers deserved more than applause.
She therefore urged stakeholders to pay, resource and listen to teachers because the future of Ghana was being shaped in classrooms every day.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah /Kenneth Odeng Adade
