Challenges of the educational sector, what I think the minister must concern himself with

There is this issue of licensing of teachers that has occupied the media space pushing off an important flagship program of the 'FREE SHS'. The Education Minister seems to be very much concerned with the 'Licensing of teachers' as if when done, it will improve students performance in this country. Trust me licensure has nothing to do with improvement in the teaching and learning process.

We are barely a year old in government if our top priority is licensure, then we might not be helping the president to achieve what we set out to do in our manifesto.

In my candid opinion, the education minister must concern himself with the implementation of the 'FREE SHS' for now. Making sure there is available infrastructure, textbooks etc for a smooth take off.

I am very much aware he has met CHASS on the issue. He must move on to have dialogue with various boards of the SHS across the country.

They have a big role to play in making sure this flagship project is effectively implemented.

Second, parents must also be duly sensitized on their roles in the 'FREE SHS PROGRAM'.

IMPROVING TEACHING AND LEARNING

I would want to hear about how the Ministry of education intends to help improve teaching and learning through teacher in-service training.

Currently, most in-service trainings are organized by teacher unions just to enable teachers get something on their promotion application forms!

The government since 2009 has neglected that aspect of education. In-service training is very important in the teaching-learning process.

1. They build teacher confidence

2. They equip teachers with new skills of imparting knowledge

3. They prepare teachers to handle difficult topics in the syllabus.

Some teachers have been dodging some difficult topics due to lack of information on handling such topics.

I would suggest most in-service trainings are done during the long vacation to prepare teachers for the next academic term.

SUPPLY OF TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER TLMS

The government must take the supply of textbooks to schools very seriously. Inadequate textbooks in our basic schools are one of the reasons for poor performance in BECE.

Basic supplies like chalk, technical equipment and other teaching and learning materials must flow into our schools for effective teaching and learning. This point tie into the issue of in-service training.

SUPERVISION OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

The idea of having an independent inspectorate agency under the ministry of education is a laudable one. Lazy teachers pick their topics from textbooks instead of from the syllabus!

I would further suggest heads of basic schools must draw a scheme of work (topics to be taught) within a term for teachers. This will help in effective supervision and minimize the rate at which some lazy teachers jump some topics they find difficult to teach.

Also, it will help track the rate of output of each teacher for effective correctional measures to kick in.

TEACHERS PROMOTIONS

This is one area that has led to the collapse of good relationship bridges between teachers and governments!

You joke with teachers salaries and promotions, you would be booted out of power! I don't want my party to be booted out now. We must fix Ghana before we leave.

Mr. Minister, I would crave your indulgence to look through some of these few foolish points I would like to put forward;

In my village man's opinion, I need you to as a matter of urgency,

1. Move teachers out of the IPPD2 platform. Teachers I am told are the single largest employees of government under the Controller and Accountant General's department.

2. Cramming teachers unto the IPPD2 platform I am told, has been one of the causes for the delay in the payment of monthly salaries of government workers as the weight of the huge number of teachers slows down the processing system.

3. Seriously, Mr. Minister, government workers are not happy with these payments around the first week of the month!

We want to see our salaries by 28th. In fact, we would clap for you if the banks can pay us by 26th of the month. If you think I am lying just try this by September ending!

Create a new or another platform and migrate teachers only onto that platform. You would see how easy and fast the system would work.

Further, on promotion, I would humbly want to suggest the following for your perusal. It would help our government look very good.

BACKGROUND

There was this directive during the previous government (NDC) time about payment of only three months salary arrears of government workers! I beg you put a stop to this asap.

It is injustice and grossly unfair. We must be very creative in looking for new ways of tackling challenges instead of using crude and brute ways of ripping off the poor Ghanaian worker.

Just look through the promotion system at the GES. There is an average of 4 years interval between promotion. For instance, if Kofi Mensah was promoted to the position of a principal superintendent in 2013, then effectively, his next promotion date would be September 2017.

Unfortunately for Teacher Kofi, the GES would advertise in 2018 and actually likely conduct the promotion interview in 2018. Kofi results would be known by the close of 2018 or into 2019 only for government to pay him just 3 months arrears! Is this fair?

Methinks the following must be put in place to make KOFI a better teacher and soar his confidence level in class:

1. Computerize the records of all teachers like the banks do for their clients,

2. This database of teachers must flag the next promotion date,

3. Send a message, (text) to the teacher one year to the new promotion date (during the 3rd year),

4. Conduct the promotion interview during the third year and publish results by August of the third year.

5. Automatically place successful teachers on their next salary level by September ending! This should be very simple and it cut out the payment of salary arrears!

WORK ENVIRONMENT OF TEACHERS

In the 21st century, teachers in Ghana are still using chalks to teach students mostly at the basic and second cycle schools. Some of the blackboards are painted using soaked charcoal and in some extreme cases, dry cell batteries! This is disincentive to teachers.

We can check absenteeism with technology but trust me a regular teacher who does not visit the classroom to teach is as dangerous as a drunk teacher that doesn't attend school during school hours.

Most female teachers are not comfortable with particles of fallen chalks and charcoal so their attention is mostly on dodging chalk particles in front of the students than helping the kids to discover knowledge.

Can we move away from blackboards to soft boards using markers instead of chalks?

With this we can set up marker production company under the *one district, One factory project* to produce these markers at the local level to feed our schools?

MINISTER'S COMMUNICATION

I would finally want to appeal to you to allow the Director General of GES to do most of the communications to teachers. Trust me it doesn't look good amongst the teachers at all.

They are 'grumbling ooooo'. They are not happy with your voice oooo. Anytime they hear your voice on radio or see you on television, barking out instructions, they get angry!

Under Ministry of Education, papers ( circulars) signed by the GES-DG are more effective than the 'rants' of a minister.

You are doing great for mother Ghana but kindly check your body language and or diction.

Thank you.