The Greater Accra Regional branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has urged the government to expedite the promotion of its members, to motivate teachers to fulfil their obligations.

The association lamented that despite the effort invested in advancing their portfolio, teachers have been stagnant at their posts without promotion for years and bemoaned instances where some have stayed at a rank for almost a decade.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Teacher Day celebration held at the Greater Accra Regional Secretariat of GNAT, Greater Accra Regional Chairperson of GNAT, Sarah Oye Owiredu bemoaned that late promotion may hinder some members of the association from rising through the ranks.

“As a regional chairman, the biggest challenge confronting the teachers in my region is upgrading. Teachers have gone to school, they’ve learnt, they’ve gotten certificates, they’ve applied and they haven’t been upgraded. Some have been on the same ranks for over two, or three years. Another challenge is our deputy directors who have been on the same rank for almost nine years. They haven’t been promoted. Until when?”, she quizzed.

“This challenge should be addressed because if I’m working, promoting me is one of the motivations and if you are not promoting me, I’ll not be motivated to do the work. And if you are not careful, when they bring the next promotion, they are going to bring in the age factor. Because to get to some ranks, you need to work for a number of years.”

The association further threw support behind the Education Ministry to introduce the requirement of a testimonial of good behaviour, in addition to other existing recommendations, before students are granted admission into tertiary institutions.

According to the ministry, this action will aid in curbing indiscipline among pre-tertiary students.

This comes at the back of recent heightened tensions in some senior high schools. Some notable incidents include the stabbing of a student by a fellow student, at the O’Reilly Senior High School and the stoning of a teacher by some final-year students at the Christian Methodist Senior High School, for not being allowed to cheat in their final exams.

Speaking to Channel One News on the sidelines of the celebration, the Regional Chairperson said that although corporal punishment should not be reintroduced into our educational system, testimonials written by teachers are a sure way of checking indiscipline.

“This testimonials, if it’s introduced the teachers themselves who are with the children should be able to write the testimonials.”

The Event structured around the theme, “Valuing teacher’s voices: the role of the teacher in maintaining peace before, during and after the December 7 elections,” witnessed the Greater Accra Regional Director of Education, Stephen Abamfo as the guest speaker who highlighted the essence of the role of the teacher during this elections season.

“During the election period, tensions may run high, and emotions can easily sway the minds of our youth. It is in these moments that our calm and steady voices are needed the most. We must act as pillars of stability, urging our students and communities to choose peace over provocation, dialogue over division, and
Unity over discord. By emphasizing the value of peaceful coexistence, we can help to create an environment where all individuals feel safe and heard,” he stated.

To inspire members of the association and recognize their hard work, home appliances and some amounts of money were gifted to teachers who have displayed outstanding performances in their field of work.

Regional Most Outstanding GNAT teacher, Vida Takyiwaa Takyi asserted that, “I’m super excited and grateful to God and I’ll entreat all teachers to work hard. That is the work the Lord has granted us.” Additionally, she appealed for teaching materials such as a flat-screen television set and laptops in the Kindergarten department to give pupils a hands-on experience in learning in the Dangbe West District.