The Coalition of Unemployed Trained Teachers has expressed disappointment over the current government’s failure to address critical issues surrounding teacher recruitment and employment in the country.
The coalition, representing trained teachers from about 46 Public Colleges of Education in a letter addressed to the Director General of Ghana Education Service and the Minister of Education, expressed deep disappointment in the leadership displayed by the education officials, citing a glaring lack of action on crucial matters related to teacher recruitment and welfare.
The coalition also highlighted what it describes as the glaring neglect of trained and licensed teachers by the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service and their alleged preference for recruiting unqualified and untrained individuals to fill teaching positions.
“Your actions and inactions have left us in limbo, and uncertain about our future in the profession as we are left to wonder whether you and the government are not proud of the New 4 year B.ed Programme you introduced.
“It’s very unfortunate waking up to news of the GES under the directorship of Dr. Eric Nkansah planning to recruit over 10,000 unqualified and untrained teachers who have no degree nor license from the National Teaching Council through the YEA to teach, whilst trained teachers who are qualified and specifically trained to help boost and properly implement the Common Core curriculum implemented at the basic level are still left to suffer and die from hunger at home”.
Coalition of Unemployed Trained Teachers
This decision in the view of the Coalition of Unemployed Trained Teachers has left trained teachers feeling neglected and uncertain about their future in the profession, especially considering the rigorous four-year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) program they underwent.
The coalition thus accused Dr. Eric Nkansah, the Director General of the Ghana Education Service of misleading the Coalition, citing a meeting held on March 22, 2024, where he allegedly assured them of imminent recruitment and the opening of recruitment portals in April 2024.
However, the coalition asserted that as of the start of the month of May 2024, no such recruitment has taken place, leaving trained teachers frustrated and disillusioned.
Furthermore, the Coalition of Unemployed Trained Teachers vehemently criticized the Minister of Education, Honorable Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum for his alleged failure to address the coalition’s concerns.
The coalition accused him of prioritizing short-term political gains over the long-term development of Ghana’s education system.
“For the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum the least said about you the better for you are happy going round and smiling haphazardly and paying deaf ears on the issue of teacher recruitments and welfare.
“What you know best is to hop from one media house to the other blatantly lying to the Ghanaian people of your achievements and your grievous tendencies to embark on projects for mere aesthetic reasons whilst neglecting the most critical parts of the Ghanaian education system which needs urgent government attention”.
Coalition of Unemployed Trained Teachers
The coalition further posited that Dr. Adutwum’s focus on distributing tablets to Senior High School students is misplaced, especially when critical issues like teacher recruitment remain unaddressed.
Calls for Urgent Actions
The coalition in a strong call to action warned both the Director General of the Ghana Education Service and the Education Minister to refrain from prioritizing their political ambitions at the expense of Ghana’s future.
The coalition vehemently vowed to mobilize their numbers, potentially into the tens of thousands, to campaign against the government if its demands for teacher recruitment are not address with urgency.
The Coalition of Unemployed Trained Teachers concluded its letter by reiterating its determination to hold the government accountable for its alleged failure to address the issue of teacher recruitment promptly.
The letter emphasized that neglecting trained teachers will have dire consequences for Ghana’s education system and urged the Minister of Education and the Director General of the Ghana Education Service to take immediate action to resolve the situation.
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