The National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 Presidential Candidate, John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) once vibrant especially, at the SHS level,has been rendered weak, dysfunctional and ineffective by the current administration.
PTAs he indicated, are a vehicle for community and stakeholder participation in the work of the schools and therefore will be working towards restoring the critical role stakeholders participation play in our education system at all levels,” he assured.
Mr. John Dramani Mahama made this statement when he had a Policy Dialogue with the Pre-Tertiary Education Sector Unions in Accra.
He pledged to decentralize the school feeding programme and return the responsibility for feeding to the schools. “This will boost the local eceonomy and ensure that students receive fresh and nutritious food”.
He also underscored his commitment to to work aggressively and expand space at the senior secondary levels in order to decongest classes and abolish the double track system that has eroded vacation rest periods for teachers.
“In this regard, as I stated earlier, would give priority for the completion of abandoned infrastructure in existing secondary schools and completion of the abandoned E-Blocks.
We would identify high population areas for siting of community day schools, including on the lands of existing schools”.
Heads of school he stressed, would be given free hands to take charge of their schools and be held accountable for academic performance of their students. “They can not do this under harassment and intimidation and resource constraints as being experienced now. The NDC will resource the schools and restore the dignity of the school heads and their teachers”.
The NDC he stated, would work with the unions and the GES on a policy for deprived or underserved communities. “A comprehensive data on teachers in such areas would be gathered so that teachers can be compensated for the deprivation they suffer in such areas”.
“The NDC is in solidarity with teachers in decrying the current manipulation, abuse, and wrongful punishment of teachers by government. It is not surprising that you have captured this in your concerns. These harassment, abuse, and the threat of, and actual use of transfers (reposting) as a tool for coercing teachers, school heads, Directors, and union leaders who engage in professional discourse will be halted by the NDC”.
He hinted that, the NDC would vigorously ensure not only prompt recruitment of newly trained teachers but also the prompt payment of their salaries and any arrears accrued.
Also, there would be engagement with teacher unions on how they can work out a collaboration to develop modalities on loan schemes. “Despite the current economic mess that the country has been plunged into, I believe that with the right conversation and collaboration with stakeholders, a workable plan can be crafted. With housing, teachers who have a 15 to 20 years working life ahead of them will be able to take low interest mortgages indexed in cedis to acquire affordable houses in locations of their choice”.
Mr. Mahama noted that, Teachers need to be deployed/posted equitably across the country and should be done on the needs of the schools.
“In view of this, the NDC will halt the current centralised posting of teachers from the GES Headquarters and revert to the deployment by the Regional/District Directorates of Your concerns as teacher unions can not be ignored. The education sector is the most populated public service comprising teachers, students, education support staff, and parents. Meeting your needs amounts to helping to address the needs of a significant portion of the population”.
