POTAG challenges Elizabeth Ohene

Accra, Aug. 26, GNA- The Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAGF) on Friday expressed shock at a statement it alleged was made by Mrs Elizabeth Ohene, a Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education that sought to ridicule polytechnic teachers in general.

A statement signed by representatives of the four Polytechnics and the General Secretary of POTAG, said it viewed with grave concern when they watched and heard the Minister of State say on television that Polytechnic teachers wanted to be like University teachers. Mr Lawrence Atepor, Chairman Cape Coast Polytechnic, Mr Richard Nkrumah, Secretary, Sunyani Polytechnic, J. B Annan, Accra Polytechnic and Francis Amoako-Attah, Chairman, Kumasi Polyphonic and Michael Brigandi, General Secretary signed the statement.

It said: "There has never been any occasion that we have portrayed ourselves as University teachers, although majority of us qualify to teach in the Universities and some of us are in fact doing so on part time basis in both public and private universities."

The POTAG said it wondered, therefore, whether it was a crime for a qualified person who could to teach in a University to opt to teach in the polytechnic because, "The polytechnic teacher is always looked down upon and mocked at by people who should be striving for success of the polytechnic."

The statement said a salary structure Committee set up recently by Ms Ohene equated the salaries of polytechnic teachers to University teachers and asked "So wherein lies the justification for castigating polytechnic teachers even if they had compared themselves to teachers in the University?"

The POTAG said, " We demand that Ms Ohene retract her statement unconditionally."