The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has underscored the need for the broad participation of teachers in issues relating to the New Educational Reforms.
The Deputy Upper East Regional Secretary of GNAT, Mr. Cyprian Tengabo who made the suggestion, noted that, teachers are the very persons who would be required to implement the reforms hence the need to give them adequate room to bring their expertise and experience to bear on the process.
He was speaking at the third Quadrennial Bawku Municipal Delegates Conference of GNAT, held in Bawku on Tuesday.
"The success of the implementation of the New Educational Reforms depends largely on teachers since they are the very people to implement the programme and failure of it would be blamed on them. They should be given more room to contribute positively to the success of the programme and not politicians", he emphasized.
Mr. Tengabo cited the current debate on the duration of the Senior High School (SHS) system, explaining that instead of getting the inputs of teachers the onus rather fell on politicians.
He said it was not the number of years of the SHS that was important but the condition of service of teachers' and the school infrastructure that would make teaching and learning efficient.
Mr. Tengabo warned that GNAT would not hesitate to use any means possible to press home the demand of teachers for the Government to implement the single Spine Salary Structure and the New Pension Scheme slated for January 2010.
He explained that as a teacher organisation, GNAT was the vanguard of a united and responsible labour front for industrial peace and noted that the association could therefore not afford to be ignorant of the current world economic crisis with its attendant implications regarding to working conditions.
GNAT would also exert more influence on its members to transform their behaviour and attitudes to work, protect their interests and to seek for their job security.
The Bawku Municipal GNAT Chairman, Mr. Simon Azuuga said the association had contributed a lot to national development and collaborated with the Ghana Education Service to achieve higher quality education in the country.
He noted that GNAT had been serving on a lot of committees including the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), Institute of Adult Education and University of Cape Coast.
Mr. Azuuga urged the factions in the Bawku conflict to use dialogue to resolve their differences instead of resorting to violence.
He said the conflict has had adverse effect on education in the municipality.
The Municipal Delegates Conference was on the theme: "Conflict and Its Effects on Teaching and Learning - The Way Forward."
Three Executive members were elected at the Municipal Delegates Conference. They are Mr. Simon Azuuga, who was re-elected as Chairman, Mr. Azia Atia, Vice Chairman and Ms Matilda Abolga, Treasurer.