The Communications Director for the New Patriotic party, Yaw Asamoah Baubeng, has stated that, 91 percent of the pending teacher’s legacy arrears have been paid.
Speaking during a press briefing in Accra on the education sector, he said this while addressing issues on teacher promotion and salary adjustments.
“Happily, so far, over 91 percent of those arrears have been paid. Teachers who were denied years of hard work have now been paid for those years.”
He noted that, the government has moved away from the former expensive and laborious face to face process which was riddled with perceptions of corruption and victimization and is now doing more in creating a system that will ensure effective and efficient system that makes sure that teachers are satisfied when it comes to promotion.
He added that, newly promoted teachers see a reflection of the adjustment of their salaries within one month of being promoted and called that a major success for teachers.
Mr. Asamoah Buabeng again said that, teachers who acquire post graduate degrees in their field get promoted earlier than others.
“You are promoted within two years instead of four years. Not too long ago, under the leadership of candidate Mahama, the economy was so bad that a three month pay policy was the order of the day. Hard working freshly recruited teachers were paid only three months’ salary, denied their economic rights because of incompetent economic management. This barefaced policy injustice accumulated and formed part of what became known as legacy arrears that the NPP government inherited.”
He revealed that, conditions of service are also diligently being worked on adding that the Ministries of Education and Finance, Fare Wages and Salaries Commission and union leaders are in the forefront of this process.
He also revealed that, in august 2020, the Ministry of Education signed a collective agreement with three specific teacher unions representing pre-tertiary teachers in the country and the conditions of service which are going to be enjoyed by these teachers are, vehicle maintenance allowance, night allowance for teachers in deprived and difficult areas, retention allowance, protective clothing allowance amongst others.
“This is testament that, this government believes in the welfare and wellbeing of the teacher.”
Speaking on free SHS and TVET, he said that, free SHS has been a major boost not only to parents and students but the entire nation and further added that, today our SHS population stands at two million learners and that is a massive jump.
“Free SHS is destiny changing”
With TVET, he stated that it is already free and not now about to be made free as purported by the opposition party.
Mr. Baubeng announced that, government has decided to realign the TVET sector and bring it all under the oversight of the Ministry of Education. This he said, is a major intervention that is being legislated and is going to ensure standardization, better coordination and regulation of the sector.
He then noted that, the capacities of technical polytechnics and universities are being strengthened as part of the overall effort to overhaul and reform the TVET sector and address challenges regarding the acquisition of technical skills for the socio-economic development of Ghana.
He revealed that,”My TVET Campaign” had been launched and is aimed at changing the negative perceptions about TVET.
