The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Tanko Musah, has raised concerns about inadequate compensation and insufficient rest for teachers under the double-track school system.
His comments follow a recent statement by the Minister of Education, Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum, who warned against any hasty moves to abolish the double-track system, emphasizing that an abrupt end could negatively impact the future of students.
He admonished that any transition away from the double-track system should be strategic, beginning with the expansion of facilities to accommodate more students.
Dr. Adutwum’s warning was directed at the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which had pledged to abolish the system if victorious in the December 7 polls.
Commenting on the issue, Mr Musah stressed the critical need for sufficient rest for teachers, highlighting the strain the double-track system has placed on them.
He urged the government to implement a robust compensation plan for educators working within this system, underscoring the importance of support to ensure their well-being and the quality of education provided.
“Giving the worker leave is good. It enables the worker to rest, refresh, prepare and come back. Even the labour law tells us that a worker cannot sell his leave. Leave now is compulsory. Even vehicles, there’s a time every month or a time you need to go for servicing. What about you human beings?
“And so the concern is that teachers who are in the double track schools are not resting and the compensation given to them is not coming.
“What we all need to look at is that if the double track cannot be resolved this year, then the schools that will be doing the double track should look at what package we will have for teachers because we cannot have a system where the teachers in those schools are working 24/7 without compensation. They must be compensated.”