Techiman Teachers Threaten to cancel extra contact hours

Techiman (B/A), Dec. 31, GNA - Teachers in second-cycle schools in the Techiman Municipality have kicked against the re-naming of teachers' incentive as staff incentive by the headmasters of their schools.

They have therefore resolved to cancel the extra contact hours they hold with students in their various schools.

In a resolution at the end of an extra-ordinary meeting in Techiman, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency, the teachers said the "teachers' incentive," otherwise known as extra classes levy, was introduced by the Parent-Teacher Associations to motivate teachers to do the extra hours.

The resolution was signed by representatives from Techiman, Buoyem, Tuobodom, Aworowa and Offuman Secondary Schools. Copies were presented to the GES and Techiman Municipal Assembly.

It queried why the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) had introduced 10 Ghana Cedis flat rate as staff incentive to be paid by each student without the consultation of the PTA.

The teachers described the action by CHASS and the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service as unacceptable and asked how the Conference could take a decision to abrogate an earlier agreement reached between teachers and parents in the municipality.

Mr. Jacob Anaba, spokesperson for the teachers, later in an interview with the GNA said they were not against the inclusion of non-teaching staff in the sharing of the teacher incentive package but rather against its imposition on them.

He said teachers were key stakeholders in education delivery who should be engaged in dialogue to resolve any issues in the sector, and appealed to CHASS and the GES Director-General not to take any unilateral decision on issues.

GNA