Veep: Government to resolve salary problem of new teachers

The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has expressed government's readiness to resolve the "perpetual" dilemma of newly trained teachers not receiving their salaries for a long time after they have been employed by the State.

He said all efforts would be made to ensure that newly trained teachers were paid their salaries within reasonable periods of time, instead of the 18 months or more that it now takes the State to pay them.

Responding to concerns by Teacher Trainee Association of Ghana, a union of the 38 Colleges of Education, during an interaction with him, at the Castle, Osu, on Thursday, Mr Mahama said teachers were among the most critical professionals of society and efforts would be made to make the sector more efficient.

He said government would work towards motivating teachers to enable them to put up their best in equipping their pupils with the skills that would make Ghana meet future challenges more fruitfully.

The NDC Administration, Mr Mahama said, would work to ensure a fusion between Communication and Education to prepare students at the basic levels, especially, with the technological skills that would make them beneficial to society.

He said the government would work with the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) to help improve teaching and learning by providing facilities that would see improvements in standards.

The President of the Volta Sector of the Association, Mr Bismark Tay, pleaded with the Vice President to use his experience in the Communications Sector to help equip the laboratories of the teacher training colleges with ICT facilities.

Mr Tay also appealed to the government to work on legislations that would enable the teacher training colleges to be recognized as tertiary institutions.

The Vice President also granted audience to a delegation from the Badu Traditional Council in the Brong-Ahafo Region and commended the people for the role they played in ensuring peace in the country.

He assured them that promises made by the NDC during the electioneering campaign would be followed through to bring about the needed development of roads, schools and health facilities in the area.

Nana Asare Boakye, Krontihene of Badu, congratulated President John Evans Atta Mills and Vice President Mahama for winning the election and entreated the government to consider creating a new region out of the Brong-Ahafo Region.