Teachers urged to help fight negative practices

Cape Coast, Oct. 23, GNA - The Dean of the Faculty of Education, at the University of Cape Coast, Dr. James Adu Opare, on Thursday, called on teachers to help eradicate negative attitudes, customs and practices that hinder socio-economic growth.

According to him, this would help pupils and students grow up with the desire, confidence and the courage to bring about positive changes in the society.

Dr. Opare, made the call when he opened a day's symposium organised by the Central Region branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), to commemorate the celebration of the World Teachers' Day in Cape Coast.

He also echoed calls on teachers to adopt innovative teaching methods to enhance interest in learning, especially of mathematics and expressed concern that the performance of Ghanaian children in mathematics keeps declining, while that of their counterparts in countries like Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan, kept improving. "We tend to be unable to go beyond the teaching approaches we learned in school, because we lack the courage to go unorthodox", he observed, and stressed that the time has come for teachers to develop innovative ways of teaching to enhance teaching and learning. On the motivation of teachers, he mentioned lack of in-service training, research, support from stakeholders and "frustrating" conditions of service as some of the constraints facing teachers in the country.

He therefore, called on all stakeholders to help address the situation, and noted that for instance some teachers resigned en-block in Tema and Accra some years ago, because they were dissatisfied with the pension scheme.

Dr Opare, however, advised teachers to be loyal and dedicated to their work in spite of the constraints, and endeavour to avail themselves of opportunities to upgrade their skills.

Mr. Thomas Baafi, regional secretary of GNAT, in an address, said the work of the teacher was of crucial importance to the development of the nation and said it is in view of this that their concerns need to be addressed with "utmost care and caution".

Mr. John Quaicoe, regional chairman of GNAT, who presided, urged the government to consider giving "the best chunk of the national cake," to teachers because they are the backbone of national development.