GNAT PRESIDENT’S BRIEF REMARKS AT A MEETING WITH  HIS EXCELLENCY,

 PRESIDENT JOHN EVANS ATTA MILLS

AT THE CASTLE, OSU ON THURSDAY, 19^TH JANUARY, 2012

 Your Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana

Chief of Staff

Honourable Ministers

Distinguished Officials of State

Ladies and Gentlemen

 On behalf of the National Council of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), I wish to convey my sincere gratitude to you, your Excellency, for the opportunity you have offered us to meet with you today in spite of your very busy schedule.

 May I take this opportunity to also thank you for honouring our invitation in January 2010 to open the National Delegates Conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) at the National Theatre in Accra.  It is an event we shall always remember.

 Your Excellency, I would like to, with your kind permission, highlight a few issues that, as the leading Teacher Union in the country, we feel are worthy of consideration.

QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION

Various interventions have been made – eg. School feeding, minimizing schools under trees, supply of free school uniforms and exercise books to boost access. However, a lot still remains to be done in the delivery of quality education to over 60% of Ghanaian children who must benefit from public basic education.

 The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is very much concerned about the provision of quality education.  The ingredients that go into achieving that, are many and varied – prominent among them being the provision of school infrastructure which includes teachers quarters, congenial atmosphere for teaching and learning, the provision of Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs), support for teachers undertaking Distance Learning Programmes, motivation of the teacher – the issues of allowances for teachers staying in deprived areas and those teaching Science, Maths etc. are yet to be tackled.  A critical look should also be taken at Early Childhood Education and others.  For example, we should be looking at the quality of staff employed to teach at the Early Childhood Centres since they lay the foundation upon which the higher academic levels could be built. We regret that teachers who have been trained in Early Childhood Education in Winneba are not being recognized. Significantly, quality teachers are needed to achieve quality education. Therefore, qualified teachers are needed in sufficient numbers.

WITHDRAWAL OF SUBSIDY ON FUEL

Your Excellency, another area of concern to us is the effect of the withdrawal of the subsidy on fuel on the ordinary Ghanaian.  We have taken note of the government’s interventions to ensure the mitigation of these effects.  We, however, think a lot more could be done to provide the relief most Ghanaians are waiting for. 

 The GNAT feels that if workers salaries cannot be increased immediately, then Cost of Living Allowance of say, 10 per cent of one’s salary could be considered to cushion workers. 

We are also of the opinion that, a downward review of taxes on petroleum products will help.  And as a way of raking in more money, the tax net could be widened to include most workers in the informal sector who, at the moment, find themselves outside the tax bracket.

 We have noticed that Parliament has not been treating the issue of the minimum tax threshold with the urgency required. The previous tax threshold of GH¢ 1008-2010 Bill was never passed and as such, was never implemented. The budget statement for 2011 indicates a threshold of GH¢ 1,208. From all indications, this does not appear to be one of the priority issues for Parliament. For 2012, a threshold of GH¢ 1440.00 has been mentioned in the 2012 Budget Statement.  We believe its implementation should in some way, relieve workers of their present level of hardship. Every effort should be made to get Parliament to pass the Bill on tax threshold.

       IMPLEMENTATION OF SINGLE SPINE SALARY STRUCTURE

 Your Excellency, you are in no doubt aware of the various challenges- both technical and fiscal, which have accompanied the implementation of the new pay system. The leaders of Public Sector Unions, especially education, were engulfed by the resultant strike. They bore the brunt of their members’ disappointment and dissatisfaction. Currently, we are dealing with the numerous mistakes arising from the payment of arrears. This has to be sorted out with great dispatch before the end of February. The question of Category 2 and 3 Allowances needs to be settled and implemented expeditiously before the end of the first quarter of this year.

 Sir, we are taking this opportunity to implore you to take a personal interest in these matters so that the agencies responsible for various facets of implementation are empowered to do so without further delay.

 ENGAGEMENT OF JHS TEACHERS IN EXTRA HOURS OF TUITION

Mr. President, recently, there was a policy directive from the Ministry of Education requesting the Ghana Education Service (GES) to compel teachers who operate at the Junior High School (JHS) level to teach additional two hours each day in addition to full sessions (6hrs) on Saturdays without remuneration.

 GNAT believes that the policy is geared towards the improvement of students’ performances at the Junior High School level. We applaud the idea of trying to improve the grades of JHS students.  But we are concerned about the Ministry of Education’s apparent disregard for Labour Laws and International treaties regarding employees’ rights. The GNAT is not comfortable with the Ministry of Education’s unilateral offer of lunch for the extra hours.  We have called for a meeting on this matter with the Ghana Education Service.  We hope they will give us the opportunity to meet quickly before we are pushed into any unpleasant situation. Dialogue offers an effective solution to any confusion. Moreover, GNAT does not uphold the belief that test scores alone can be used to evaluate the quality of teachers.

 NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME 

Your Excellency, we would like to appeal to your government to consider doing a critical review of the introduction of Capitation  into the National Health Insurance Scheme.  The hullabaloo surrounding the pilot scheme in the Ashanti Region is indicative of some inherent problems that should not be glossed over in the government’s pursuit of providing quality health care to Ghanaians.

 THE 2012 ELECTIONS

Mr. President, we are well aware of the fact that, this year is an election year.  As an Association that believes so much in democracy, stability and peace, we would like to appeal to all political parties to conduct their electioneering campaigns devoid of insults, acrimony and intimidation.  Anything that will increase the political temperature in the country should be avoided in order to ensure a successful December 7, 2012 poll.

We also appeal to your high office to continue to support the Electoral Commission with the necessary logistics to conduct a free, fair and transparent election that will be acceptable to all parties in the elections and thereby raise our democratic credentials in the eyes of the international community.

                    CONCLUSION

 As an Association, GNAT is non partisan, but we collaborate with any government in power with the object of getting the best for our teachers and the education sector. Teacher Unions have proved elsewhere to be very effective partners in achieving an effective national education agenda.

 We pray, Sir, that GNAT is not always regarded as an “aggressor” but rather as a “partner”, so that such meetings would be on a more regular basis. Sir, as teachers, we care about the quality of our human development agenda. The state of a nation’s classrooms is an indicator of its level of development.

 Your Excellency, once again, I would like to, on behalf of the National Council of GNAT, thank you very much for granting us audience.

 May the Good Lord continue to guide and bless you and your government as you strive to improve the living conditions of Ghanaians.

Thank you.

SAMUEL DOE ALOBUIA

(NATIONAL PRESIDENT)

DATED: JANUARY 19, 2012