Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communication Officer, Sammy Darkwah, has called on the government to urgently address concerns raised by teachers and improve their conditions of service to strengthen public education.
Speaking on Plan B FM’s Nkosuonsem, hosted by Obidehyie Kofi Sekyi, Mr. Darkwah said the ongoing teachers’ strike was serious and should not be treated lightly, stressing that teachers were not staying away from the classroom simply because they wanted to.
According to him, the teachers’ concerns, including promotions, salaries, arrears and other conditions of service, were legitimate and required the government’s urgent attention.
He identified the delay in implementing the financial benefits associated with teachers’ promotions as one of the major concerns.
Mr. Darkwah argued that when a teacher is promoted, the corresponding increase in salary should be reflected without unnecessary delays.
“Salary increment after a promotion is nothing new,” he said, questioning why the government was delaying payments due teachers.
He also raised concerns about allowances for teachers posted to deprived and remote areas, arguing that such incentives were necessary to encourage teachers to work in communities where access to quality education remains a challenge.
He said teachers posted to remote areas deserved appropriate allowances because they were providing essential services to children who also deserved quality education.
Mr. Darkwah further urged the government to provide clarity on the processing of allowances for teachers posted to deprived areas. He called for the government to disclose how many teachers had so far been processed, when the remaining teachers would be processed and any challenges delaying the exercise.
He said transparency on the matter would enable stakeholders to understand the situation and help find solutions where necessary.
The former NPP Communication Officer also argued that successive governments must prioritise education, stressing that problems within the education sector could have wider consequences for the country’s economy.
He said, in his view, the previous government had made progress in some areas of education and urged the current administration to take immediate steps to resolve the impasse with the teachers.
Mr. Darkwah warned that the continued strike could have serious consequences for students and their parents, particularly because it could disrupt the academic calendar and affect students’ academic progress.
He also expressed concern that prolonged disruptions could undermine public confidence in the public education system.
He stressed that teachers deserved greater recognition because every profession depended on teachers for its development.
According to him, improving teachers’ welfare, conditions of service and standard of living should remain a priority for every government because teachers play a foundational role in producing professionals across all sectors of the economy.
Mr. Darkwah also touched on challenges confronting public schools, including inadequate infrastructure and the need for quality teachers.
He therefore appealed to the government and the Ministry of Education to intensify efforts to resolve the concerns of the teachers and create the conditions necessary for them to return to the classroom.
He said resolving the impasse would help minimise the disruption to students’ education and strengthen Ghana’s public education system.
By: Kyei Pearl Ama Saah
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