By Daily Democrat News Desk
As teacher unions in Ghana agitate for better terms and conditions of service, Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) West Africa has challenged education authorities to provide answers over rampant absenteeism, lax supervision and alleged dereliction of duties by District Education Offices.
The organisation questioned who was watching over the managers of Ghana’s education system who in turn were supposed to be watching over the teachers.
While GNAT, NAGRAT and CCT have been agitating for better terms and conditions of service for teachers, MMUN argued that accountability must start from the top and trickle down to the classroom.
Based on its surveillance of District Education Offices across the country, MMUN alleged that some offices had become hotbeds of indiscipline and had failed to provide verifiable evidence of staff members’ duties, particularly in relation to correspondence and other responsibilities.
“While there should be five or six desks in the office to handle correspondence and other duties, only one staff member is present when monitored.
When probed on the duties of the others, the staff members are unable to give satisfactory answers,” the organisation alleged.
If the allegations are true, it casts doubt on the supervision activities of the districts as officers are expected to routinely visit schools to address complaints and ensure that teachers and administrators adhere to the code of conduct and provide quality education.
WHO IS WATCHING THE WATCHDOG?
“There is no commitment, work ethics or respect for supervision at the district level.
If the education offices mandated to supervise more than 200 schools cannot provide information on their workers’ duties, how can they effectively sanction teachers for similar shortcomings?” said Nii Ayitey Anumle Oyanka, also known as King Oyanka, the West Africa Chairman of MMUN.
His comments add fuel to the already intense debate on the need for better teacher motivation while parents and civil society push for improved performance and accountability.
King Oyanka noted that teachers’ demands for better payments and working conditions could not be addressed in isolation of the need for accountability and professional responsibility.
“Teachers and parents are both right to demand better but it should be a collective responsibility to ensure that those who earn public funds through salaries deliver quality services,” he told
Daily Democrat .
The organisation has called for an end to the practice of naming and shaming districts when reports of maladministration emerge.
“This is not about one district, this is everywhere.
When we quote one district, people want to believe it is an isolated case when in reality it is national,” said King Oyanka.
However, the organisation urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) to investigate the allegations and respond to the issues raised.
FORCED EXTRA CLASSES: PARENTS LEFT FUMING
MMUN has accused the government of total neglect of public basic schools as head teachers continue to force parents to pay between GHC10 and GHC50 monthly for extra classes.
The organisations said it received various complaints from parents alleging that they were harassed and humiliated when they were unable to pay the sums.
Parents also complained that the extra classes created inequalities among students as those who could not afford them were denied learning opportunities.
MMUN also alleged that important topics were deliberately taught in the extra classes instead of during school hours.
If the allegations are true, they pose a major challenge to the government’s Free Compulsory Universal Education (FCUBE) agenda as well as the rights of parents to send their children to school.
The organisation is demanding immediate intervention from the Ministry of Education and GES to stop the illegal deductions.
MMUN is also challenging the ministry to ensure that all eligible Ghanaian children received basic education without discrimination.
Parents who pay extra fees should know where their money is going and should be able to challenge any form of harassment without fear of reprisal, the organisation added.
FOUR DEMANDS TO GES: ACT NOW!
MMUN has demanded four immediate interventions from the GES.
The first intervention is a circular prohibiting any form of extra-fees and extra classes in Basic Schools.
It further called for the use of biometric software to take attendance of all staff at the District and Regional levels and make the duty roster public.
MMUN also demanded the establishment of a monitoring team to randomly monitor all 261 districts to check on the implementation of the above measures.
The organisation also urged the GES to expedite action on teachers’ welfare.
MMUN argued that while the unions’ demands were reasonable, verified cases of teachers misbehaving should be punished.
“Pay them well but make the system work and everyone should be accountable from the classroom to the district education office,” said King Oyanka.
As teachers’ unions continue to agitate for changes in the sector, MMUN is cautioning the government against compromising quality and accountability in its rush to address the teachers’ demands.
“The system needs to be made accountable to the people.
Pay them well but use some of the money to provide quality learning materials and make sure the teachers are not taking undue advantage.
Accountability should start from the district office,” King Oyanka advised.
The onus is now on the Ministry of Education and the GES to investigate the various allegations and take action to ensure that everyone in the education sector is answerable.
For parents, teachers and students, the question now is whether the system can deliver quality education while ensuring the rights of teachers are not compromised.
