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The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has appealed to the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) to further engage the ministry on the implementation of the negotiated allowances for its members.
That, according to him, was better than always resorting to strikes.
Dr Adutwum made the appeal in a speech read on his behalf by the Director in charge of Tertiary Education of the ministry, Professor Yayra Dzakadzie, at the 13th Congregation of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) College of Education on the college's premises at Asokore near Koforidua in the Eastern Region.
The event, with the theme: "Empowering the 21st Century teacher with technology and lifelong skills: The role of colleges of education,” witnessed the passing out of 380 Bachelor of Education students.
Of the number, one student passed out with first class in Basic Education in Early Grade Education while 21 students came out with Second Class Upper Division, 33 with Second Class Lower Division and six with third class.
In the Bachelor of Education, Primary Education category, seven graduated with first class, 110 had second class upper division, 105 had second class lower division, 34 with third class and two with passes.
With regard to Bachelor of Education, Junior High School Education, one student graduated with first class, 19 with second class upper division, 37 with second class lower division and four with third class.
Dr Adutwum said although allowances for members of CETAG had been negotiated but not yet implemented, it would not be good for the beneficiaries to go on industrial actions since that would disrupt the academic calendar.
He, therefore, urged the teachers to further engage the Ministry of Education in resolving the matter rather than going on strike.
The Acting Principal of the College, Dr Cecilia Ofosua Odame, said the college, which currently had 2,280 students on admission was among the best seven out of the 46 colleges of education to implement a degree programme.
She said the college had recently opened a clinic, pharmacy, laboratory and periodic specialist clinic services to staff, students and the college's community.
According to her, the college in collaboration with Sabre Education had established an early grade resource centre to equip early grade students with current trends of teaching and learning at the early grade level.
The Acting Principal who said work on other projects were also ongoing, however, told the gathering that the college was facing several challenges which had mitigated effective teaching and learning.
The Provost of the Institute of Education, University of Cape Coast, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, who was the guest speaker, urged the new teachers to continue to update and upgrade their knowledge in order to support their learners to learn very well.
The Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III, who also addressed the gathering, appealed to the new teachers to accept postings especially to the rural communities.
