Source: Samuel Mbura  

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) says government’s fight against terrorism will not succeed if there

is a continuous neglect of the security challenges people face as a result of the high cost of living.

While the government is concentrating on tightening security measures by retooling security apparatus,

GNAT says issues of basic necessities need attention as well.

In an interview with JoyNews, the General Secretary of the Association, Thomas Musah, noted that the growing

hardship in the country is exposing people to financial difficulties, something that poses security threats to the state.

He hinted that the situation is affecting members of the group; hence, their decision to embark on an industrial action

if nothing is done to address it.

“There is an uneasy calm. We are coming from a background of 4% and 7%; that didn’t sit well with workers and almost

every time they keep on calling us – day and night – there is pressure on us.

“That is why at this particular point in time, it has become necessary to draw attention to this thing; we are dealing with the

issues of human security and workers are seriously challenged regarding the issue of water, food, clothing, transportation and

light bills. We are calling on the government to do something about this,” he pleaded.

Mr Musah revealed that despite their appeal to the government to institute the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), there have

not been any discussions on it yet.

“The only thing that has been looked at is the issue of the minimum wage…a technical team has worked on it and presented

its report. We believe this is the time for the government to respond because of the issues of human security, which could have

serious implications on national security.

“We are saying that the time to act is now. Don’t let us take these things and delay it and we will say we will not respond;

it will not help anybody,” he argued.

1st July 2022

The President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), RevIsaac Owusu, has reiterated its demand for the government to pay the 20 per cent Cost of Living Allowance (COLA). It added that GNAT still stood by its June 30 deadline, given to the government to meet its demand.

“Yesterday, I and the General Secretary went to meet some members and we were chased out because they feel we are not doing enough,” Rev Owusu said.

“For this reason we want the Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations to note that we still stand by the June 30 deadline we have given to the government,” he added.

Rev Owusu was speaking at the GNATInvestment Forum on the theme “Ghana’s Workers Pension; Challenges and Solutions for Growth in the Next Decade” in Accra yesterday.

Organised by GNAT with the aim of providing a platform to discuss issues confronting members, the forum had in attendance delegates from all the regions in the country.

In his remarks, the Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Bright Wireko-Brobby, who represented the Minister said he understood how important the

demands of GNAT was to the welfare of its members considering the current economic conditions of the country.

He, however, noted that the inability of the government to meet with the leadership of National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Coalition of Concern Teachers (CCT) in the past two weeks had delayed the process in addressing the issue.

Mr Wireko-Brobby, therefore, pledgedthe government’s readiness to ensure that all arrears owed GNAT and all other Teacher Associations were fully paid.

The Director General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang, sharing his thoughts on the theme explained the importance of the

payment of SSNIT Pension by contributors and implored workers to think of it as an insurance policy.

According to him, thinking about the scheme that way would help erase every misconception people had about it, adding that “the Pension Scheme was one of the best

compared to all other forms of pension schemes we have in the country.”

Source:  BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY

Ghanaian Times

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) sponsored several teachers and staff of the GNAT across

the country to participate in the 9th Conference of the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA)

and 11th Roundtable of Ministers of affiliate countries. The GNAT team was led by the National President and  Mr. Dagbandow Kwame,

Deputy General Secretary Education and Professional Development. The conference which was held this year at the

International Conference Centre was opened by the Chief of Staff representing the President of the Republic of Ghana.

It was organized under the theme “Unpacking Teaching and Learning in Africa for Excellence”. NAGRAT and other organizations

were formally accepted into AFTRA fratenity.

AFTRA is the intergovernmental umbrella of the Ministries and Agencies of Education regulating Teaching in

the 55 Member States of the African Union. Inaugurated on October 12, 2010 in Abuja Nigeria by the

Ministers of Education of Nigeria and South Africa, AFTRA has grown into a profound continental Federation

that leads policy development and implementation for the professionalization of Teaching in Africa.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has received a Medal of Honour from the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA)

for his contribution to education and teaching in the country.

The AFTRA is an inter-governmental organisation of the various ministries of education and other national agencies regulating teaching in the 55 African Union (AU) member states.

The medal is the federation’s highest award reserved for African Presidents and Heads of State who have impacted the teaching profession in their respective countries.

The honour was bestowed on the President during the opening of the ninth Teaching and Learning Conference in Accra yesterday.

The five-day AFTRA conference, dubbed: “Unpacking teaching and learning in Africa for excellence”, has brought together some ministers of education from across

the continent, some regulators of the teaching profession in Africa and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

The Deputy President of AFTRA, Professor Josiah Ajiboye, presented a citation and a gold medal to the President on behalf of the federation.

The Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, who received the items on behalf of the President, said adequate qualified teachers were a key to educational delivery.

Learning outcomes

She said evidence pointed to improvement in learning outcomes in the country due to adequate professional teachers who adhered to the ethics of the profession.

Mrs Osei-Opare said the COVID-19 pandemic had taught a lesson that teachers were irreplaceable.

“The incessant craving for teachers during the difficult times in the pandemic tells us that technology can be an enabler but not a replacement for teachers

in our education,” she said.

She said as the continent invested in teaching and learning, it was essential that “we have the right professionals who are capable of breaking down

curriculums and see learning to the level of higher outcomes”.

She said the National Teaching Council, the agency responsible for regulating teaching in Ghana, had been well supported by the government to professionalise

teaching through the enactment of appropriate legislation, as well as the regulation of human and financial resources, to fully execute their mandates.

Mrs Osei-Opare commended AFTRA for taking steps to actualise constant desires to make teaching a real profession through the establishment and enforcement of

teaching standards, continuous professional development, professional values, attitudes, practices, among others.

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has partnered with the National Security to improve intelligence

gathering as threats of terror attacks in the subregion intensify.

General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas T. Musah said the collaboration is “expected to enable teachers compliment

efforts of the Ministry of National Security protect Ghana’s borders” and promote peace in communities.

As part of efforts to disseminate information on Ghana’s National Security Strategy, the Ministry of National

Security engaged the leadership of GNAT at all levels to “enable them inform members on why it is important

for the country’s security to be safeguarded”, he added.

National Security Coordinator, Maj. Gen. Francis Adu-Amanfoh, said, it is important that “teachers in all communities

become alert and aware of their surroundings and pick-up signals” that would complement efforts to enhance security across the the country.

He asked the officers of GNAT to also educate members on sensitive information and signals needed to assist

National Security to maintain peace internally and across Ghana’s borders.

GNAT President, Rev. Isaac Owusu, encouraged teachers to “assist security agencies in addressing conflicts” in their efforts to maintain the peace.

Within the first quarter of 2022, out of the 346 terrorists’ attacks in various African countries, 49 percent of them

have occurred in the West African subregion.

On May 11, 2022, in Togo, about 15 assailants and eight military personnel were killed during a terrorist attack.

The Ministry of National Security as part of its activities has also launched an initiative; the ‘See Something Say

Campaign’ with a toll free number, 999 made available for the public to provide information on any suspicious persons or activities.

GNAT, as the biggest union in the country, has become one of the key stakeholders for the Ministry of National

Security due to emerging instability in the West African subregion.