On The Government’s Policy To Take Newly Trained Teachers Off Payroll Immediately After Completing College

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Those were Thomas Jefferson's words in the popular speech “Declaration of Independence.”

It is only prudent for every human government to organize its activities and policies in respect of those truths.

We entrusted our powers to the government to ensure that we, the people of Ghana, have our happiness safeguarded. It's rather interesting to note that the government is bent on implementing policies that kill the Ghanaian at the Cheetah's pace; and those that grow us at a Snail's pace.

The government implements such policies without the consent of those who are mostly affected. What a tyranny.

One of such policies is the removal of allowances of newly trained teachers soon after completing college.

The fact remains that, The Teacher Trainee had signed an agreement to remain teaching for at least five years, which assured him entitlement to allowance till he becomes a teacher and is fully placed on salary. This implies that, the allowances of teacher trainees are not as free as opponents may wish to see it.

WHY THE NEWLY TRAINED TEACHER BE PAID HIS/HER ALLOWANCES TILL IS PLACED ON FULL SALARY

According to directives from the Finance Ministry to the Controller and Accountant General's Department, we-newly trained teachers-should be taken off government payroll just after completing college till we are being posted to our various stations. But the newly trained teacher had already been employed by the GES even before he/she completes college.

Within August, newly trained teachers are either struggling to locate villages they were posted or trying very hard to find accommodation and relocate to their stations. In September, when they are faced with their life long work of transforming lives and preparing a better future for our beloved country and the world at large, they will inevitably be faced with exigencies for which they would need money to cope.

It is within this period that the newly trained teacher needs more financial and psychological support to get ready for a lifelong service to his or her community and the nation at large.

Should the government take away the small allowance which is supposed to cushion us, how do we cope with expenditure such as rent, utilities, feeding, transportation, etc; especially at this time when prices are increasing every day?

Meanwhile, final results of newly trained teachers are usually released in December/January while we are to start teaching by September. So, between September and December/January, how do we cater for ourselves while teaching at our stations?

It is either the usual practice, where the newly trained teacher continues to be on allowance till their classifications are out and those qualified are migrated to full salary, is maintained or we do not go to our stations till after the classifications and due migration to full salary.

This is the current frustration our counterparts in the Health Sector face.

It becomes very sad that a government that proclaims its social democratic ideologies will even consider taking newly trained teachers off payroll at a time they are engaged and should even be paid their salaries.

THE WORST PART
Government did not give us any notice of the current situation so we could even prepare our mind for this. We ended up more frustrated than is the general feeling of most Ghanaians.

In addition, neither the way forward is spelt out clearly to us -i.e. when specifically we are going to be placed back on government payroll, Nor were the terms and conditions attached explained to us-whether we will have to report at our stations after our results are out and have been certified as qualified teachers (as it is for our counterparts at the health sector) or we still report in September.

If the latter will be the practice, what will happen to our colleagues who may fall victim to the anomalies that are likely to delay or prevent their certification, as has been the character of the current system for years now.

As a listening and democratic government, it owes a duty to specifically justify this ruthless decision and explain to Ghanaians how much they care about the ordinary people.

OUR ULTIMATUM
WE THE FRONTIERS OF THE AGRIVED NEWLY TRAINED TEACHERS WISH TO URGE THE GOVERNMNET TO RESCIND ITS DECISION AND PAY US OUR AUGUST ALLOWANCES BY SEPTEMBER 17 AND FOR EVERY SUCCEEDING MONTH TILL WE ARE FULLY PLACED ON SALARIES OR THE NATION WITNESSES THE EXPRESSION OF OUR TRUE FEELINGS THROUGH ALL LEGAL MEANS MOST UNDERSTOOD BY THE GOVERNMENT.

APPEAL
We wish to appeal to all well-meaning Ghanaians and indeed, the general public and civil society organizations to join us in the campaign against this inhumane decision of the government.

Remember: today, it's happening to us; tomorrow, it could be you.

Long Live Ghana!
Issued on the 4th of September, 2014.
(Gakpo Emmanuel)
National-Convener
0540805046
(Asanzero John Abotisum)
Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions-Convener
0248238091
(Joseph Baidoo)
Western and Central Regions-Convener
0506477459
(Dornu Paul)
Eastern and Greater Accra Regions-Convener
0540860505
(Solomon Nbugri)
Convener for the Teacher Trainees in the Three Regions in the North

0206910645
(Shittie Prosper)
Volta-Convener
0240241900