The Agona West Municipal Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Daniel Lavoe, has appealed to the government to decentralize the administration of promotion examinations by establishing district-level centers. He said this would ease the burden on teachers who currently travel long distances to take these exams.
Speaking to Adom News at the 7th Quadrennial District Delegates Conference held in Agona Swedru under the theme, “Ghana Education Service @50: Achievements, Challenges and the Way Forward,” Mr. Lavoe highlighted several critical challenges hindering effective teaching and learning in the municipality.
He lamented the poor state of school infrastructure, the scarcity of teaching resources, and the lack of motivation among teachers, largely due to inadequate remuneration and overwhelming workloads.
“Our schools are severely lacking basic infrastructure and teaching materials, while teachers face heavy workloads, low pay, and dwindling motivation,” he said. “These issues greatly undermine the quality of education we strive to deliver.”
Mr. Lavoe also urged the swift implementation of the collective bargaining agreement and called for a review of the current teacher posting system.
He stressed the importance of empowering district directors to assign teachers based on actual school vacancies to avoid the problem of some schools being overstaffed while others remain understaffed.
“Decentralizing teacher postings will help ensure a more balanced distribution of educators and ease the strain on staff in overstretched schools,” he asserted.
He further emphasized the need to prioritize the motivation and support of teachers in rural and underserved communities. “When teachers feel supported and motivated, they are better equipped to impart knowledge effectively to their students,” he noted.
In response, the Agona West Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Eric Gyamfi Odoom, acknowledged the concerns raised and reassured stakeholders that the Assembly is actively addressing these issues.
“We are implementing measures to tackle the infrastructure deficits in our schools and remain committed to improving teacher welfare,” Mr. Odoom affirmed.
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