Teachers would no longer be marginalized

President John Agyekum on Friday restated his government's commitment to ensure that teachers were no longer marginalised as it was the case in the past.

Rather the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government would motivate teachers well to enable them to groom students that pass through the country's institutions of learning to the highest level to become reliable nation builders.

These were contained in a speech read on behalf of the President by Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education at the opening of the bi-annual delegates' congress of the University Teachers Association of Ghana, (UTAG) at the University College of Education, Winneba (UCEW).

President Kufuor said this was in line with the government's commitment towards improving infrastructure facilities and providing the necessary incentives for teachers to perform at their best.

He said the government attached great value to the role teachers' play in nation building and would never at any given time undermine their credibility.

He emphasised the key role quality education plays in the socio-economic development of any nation, adding that, "a nation of ignorant people cannot compete in this fast growing age of information and technology".

The President said the appointment of Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi as the Minister of Education demonstrated the NPP government's deep love and commitment to the general well being of teachers.

He, therefore, urged teachers to interact more freely with the Sector Minister so that they could share ideas and analyse problems together for the benefit of the nation.

President Kufuor urged UTAG to be more interested and involve itself in the development and formulation of policies that would enhance the growth of the national economy.

He stressed the need for Ghanaians, who have benefited from quality education in the country's higher institutions, to be prepared to make "a fair and reasonable" contribution to the provision of the necessary facilities required for the promotion of education at all levels.

President Kufuor appealed to UTAG members to endeavour to make the disruption of academic programmes through industrial actions, which emanated from the disagreement between the government and university teachers a thing of the past.

He declared: "Let us together create a forum for the parallel discussion of all issues and thereby put an end to the notion that government takes action only when there is agitation or industrial action by aggrieved workers.

"My government hopes the national economy would be put on the right footing sooner rather than later; we further hope we can strengthen the rough edges in the educational system, especially through the elimination of waste and the introduction of good and responsible management preventives so that the system will be quickly revamped", the President added.

He said with the approval of the disbursement plan of the Ghana Education Trust Fund, completion of projects on University campuses would be undertaken this year to inject some life into the educational system.

Professor J. Anamuah-Mensah, Principal of the UCE, chaired the function.