Improve working conditions of teachers - Prof. Ansah

An educationist, has asked Government to improve the working conditions of teachers to motivate them to work harder to enhance teaching and learning in the country.

Professor Lawrence Owusu Ansah, Head of the English Department, University of Cape Coast, who made the call, said the country's New Education Reform would not be successful if issues concerning salaries of teachers were not tackled.

He was speaking at the 29th Speech and Prize Giving Day of the Saltpond Methodist Senior High School, organized on the theme: Investing in Quality Senior High School Education: the Role of Stakeholders", at Saltpond.

Prof. Ansah stressed the need to make teachers comfortable to enable them to deliver adding "It is often said if you pretend to pay workers, they also pretend to work".

He called on the authorities to ensure the training of all teachers and that said it was erroneous to assume that all university graduates could effectively teach.

Prof. Ansah asked government to improve and expand school infrastructure and said that the extension of the duration of Senior High School (SHS) programme from three to four years had created accommodation problems for schools.

Mr. Kwaku Sarfo Kantanka, Central Regional Director of Education, urged Heads of Schools to stick to approved school fees and appealed to them not to do ant thing to derail government's initiatives at making secondary education accessible to all children.

The Headmaster, Very Reverend Paa Solomon Grant Essilfie, appealed to government to complete work on the girls' dormitory and the administration block of the school.

Mr. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Member of Parliament for Mfantseman West, pledged 10 computers for the School.

Mr. Henry Kweku Hayfron, Municipal Chief Executive of area, said the Assembly had donated 100 bags of cement for the completion of on-going projects in the school.