The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has expressed readiness to effectively partake in the National  Education Forum, to highlight funding shortfalls within the  educational system of the country.

This comes after President John Dramani Mahama established an eight-member committee to oversee the organisation of the National Education reform, to publicly dialogue on ways to improve on the educational sector in the country.

In an interview on the Channel One Newsroom, General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Tanko Musah raised concerns regarding debts owed the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the challenge of financing the School Feeding programme for basic schools across the country and the capitation grant which lies in arrears.

He further lamented the growing concern of student indiscipline witnessed recently in some Senior High Schools and called for reforms in the disciplinary system.

“The major problem facing us is funding. All the problems we are going to discuss, it is about where to get money, pay for them. And like I always say, capitation grant is in arrears for over two years. We are owing WAEC for over GH¢100 million. The school feeding, we are owing. How can we feed students GH¢1.30 a day?

“We will go there and bring to their attention that currently as a people, we have lost the effective aspect of training our children which has to do with character and conscience. And we will run into danger when we train children with knowledge and they don’t have character.

“We must revisit the issue where we have disabled the headmasters and everything, otherwise we will be in trouble in the coming years.”

Source :   Sarah Appiah

The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Tanko Musah, has voiced concerns over inadequate compensation and insufficient rest periods for teachers working under the double-track school system.

Musah’s comments come in response to recent statements by the Minister of Education, Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum, who cautioned against the immediate abolition of the double-track system, citing potential negative effects on students’ educational prospects.

Dr. Adutwum’s warning was directed at the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which has pledged to abolish the system if it wins the December 7 general elections.

In an interview with Citi News, Musah emphasized the critical need for sufficient rest for teachers, highlighting the strain the double-track system has placed on them.

He called on the government to develop a comprehensive compensation plan for teachers operating within this framework, underscoring the importance of supporting educators to ensure both their well-being and the quality of education provided.

“Giving the worker leave is good. It enables the worker to rest, refresh, prepare and come back. Even the labour law tells us that a worker cannot sell his leave. Leave now is compulsory. Even vehicles, there’s a time every month or a time you need to go for servicing. What about you human beings?

“And so the concern is that teachers who are in the double track schools are not resting and the compensation given to them is not coming.

“What we all need to look at is that if the double track cannot be resolved this year, then the schools that will be doing the double track should look at what package we will have for teachers because we cannot have a system where the teachers in those schools are working 24/7 without compensation. They must be compensated.”

September 16, 2024 1:37 pm

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called on the government to immediately declare a state of emergency to address the devastating impact of illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.

Additionally, GNAT is demanding the evacuation of all mining equipment from forest reserves and water bodies.

GNAT Secretary, Thomas Musah made these demands on Accra-based Channel One TV while outlining five urgent actions the government must put in place.

Mr Musah called for the revocation of law 2462 and the withdrawal of all mining and prospecting licenses in forests, protected reserves, and water bodies.

“Deploy Police and Military to remove and destroy all mining and earth-moving equipment in river bodies and forest reserves.

“Establish a special court to prosecute those involved in illegal mining (galamsey),” he stated.

Meanwhile, highlighting the dire situation facing Ghana, Mr Musah expressed down the five-member inter-ministerial committee set up by President Akufo-Addo will help finding lasting solutions to the menace.

July 24, 2024

Kumasi City News

Members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) staged a dramatic walkout on Deputy Education Minister, Prof Kingsley Nyarko, to express their deep disappointment and frustration over the government’s failed promise to provide laptops to teachers nationwide.

The walkout was a clear indication of the growing resentment among GNAT members, who are urging the government to immediately address their concerns and fulfill its promises. In 2021, the government deducted 30% of teachers’ salaries to undertake the “one teacher, one laptop” project, aimed at providing digital tools to enhance teaching and learning.

However, over two and a half years later, more than 50,000 teachers nationwide have not received their laptops, despite paying for them through salary deductions.

The aggrieved teachers, who gathered for their week-long annual meeting, hooted at Prof Nyarko and prevented him from delivering his speech on behalf of the government. The teachers shared their daily ordeal in the classroom, where the absence of laptops has interrupted teaching and learning, causing frustration and demotivation.

District Chairman of GNAT, Afigya Kwabre, Sarfo Sarpong, spoke on behalf of the group, expressing their disappointment and anger over the government’s failure to fulfill its promises. Sarpong revealed that the National Labour Commission, serving as a mediator, had given the government until the end of June to honor its part of the contract by supplying the outstanding laptops.

However, as of July 22, over 50,000 laptops were still left to be supplied, leaving teachers feeling betrayed and neglected. The walkout and protest by GNAT members serve as a strong reminder to the government to prioritize the needs and concerns of teachers, who are essential to the country’s education system.

Source: Myjoyonline.com  

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), has asked all its regional secretariats to join Organised Labour in preparation for the planned demonstration against the imposition of VAT on domestic power consumption.

Organised Labour has scheduled next Tuesday, February 13 to embark on a demonstration should the government fail or refuse to withdraw the directive it issued for the Ghana Revenue Authority and the power distributors to implement the 15 percent VAT.

In a letter dated February 6, 2024, addressed to all its regional secretaries and titled ‘13TH FEBRUARY, 2024 NATIONWIDE DEMONSTRATION AGAINST 15% VAT ON ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION’, the teachers’ union said it participated in a meeting of Organised Labour held on Friday, 2nd February, 2024 at the Trade Union Hall in Accra at which “Leadership of Organised Labour decided to embark on a nationwide demonstration against government's directive to ECG and NEDCo to start the implementation of 15% VAT on residential consumption of electricity.”

According to GNAT, it agreed to the decision at the meeting to embark on the nationwide demonstration “against the imposition of this insensitive tax.”

“We are by this letter directing all our Regional Secretariats to join Organised Labour in their respective Regions in preparation towards this mammoth demonstration scheduled for Tuesday, 13th February, 2024 at all the Regional capitals”, the letter signed by Isaac Baah, Head of Compensation & Benefits on behalf of the General Secretary, said.

Organised Labour has rejected the imposition of VAT on domestic power consumption, arguing it would compound the already precarious economic situation of workers. An ultimatum for the government to withdraw the tax entirely has since January 29 expired, leaving Labour with its next step of a nationwide demonstration.

Labour has also indicated it will advise itself if the government does not respond positively to the demand after the demonstration.

Source: MyJoyOnline.com