The President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Philippa Larsen, has asked government to supply the remaining laptops for which monies have been deducted, under the ‘One teacher, One laptop’ initiative to teachers before the end of Friday, December 31, 2021.
Speaking on the statement by some teachers that monies are being deducted despite they not receiving the laptops, she called for the supply to be done to ensure that the teachers receive the laptops to fulfil the objective of the initiative.
“We again demand from the GES to ensure that by the close of Friday December 31, 2021 all teachers whose monies were deducted for the laptops would be supplied the said laptops.”
Philippa Larsen
Philippa Larsen explained that, on February 11, 2021 a laptop computer pre-financing agreement was entered into between the GES, acting on behalf of the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service Occupational Pensions Scheme (GESOPS).
She stated that per the pre-financing agreement between the GES and GESOPS, the cost per teacher was GHS549.44 pesewas as a result of the 18.16 per cent interest rate on the 465 cedis. Philippa Larsen intimated that the price further reduced to GHS509 due to the intervention of the unions and the minister of education who indicated that the 18.16 per cent cannot be charged on the entire 30 per cent portion.
She noted that leadership is asking the government through the Ministry of Education to absorb the interest charges on the 30 per cent that had accrued from pre-financing.
One Teacher, One Laptop initiative
The One Teacher, One Laptop initiative was launched by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. During the launch, he handed over 350,000 laptops in fulfilment of government’s pledge to equip Ghanaian teachers with the requisite ICT skills to prepare the next generation for the Fourth Industrial revolution.
However, according to some aggrieved teachers, although they have been deducted, they haven’t received the laptops promised under the initiative which has resulted in court action.
All Teachers Alliance on deductions
Earlier, a group of teachers named the “All Teachers Alliance” stated that it had come to their attention that despite the court action instituted, teachers’ monies have been deducted without recourse to court proceedings for the One Teacher, One Laptop initiative.
In a statement, the Alliance indicated that it came as a shock to them since the original hearing of the interlocutory injunction filed on the 10th November, 2021 on the stay of distribution and deduction had been rescheduled for hearing on the 14th December, 2021.
The Alliance revealed that many teachers are not happy about the development and have raised genuine concerns about the manner in which GES has authorized the deduction of the laptops’ fee from their November professional development allowance.
“What’s more worrying is that, the majority of teachers especially basic school teachers are yet to receive the laptops. The question now beckons how teachers could be deducted before providing them with laptops?”
All Teachers Alliance
