President of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana (CCT-Gh), King Ali Awudu, has expressed worry over how teachers retire as paupers, despite their dedication and sacrifices.
Mr. Awudu claimed that all teachers in Ghana are underpaid and described the situation as unfortunate.
“Teachers all over Ghana are underpaid. It is unfortunate that teachers will put in their all to impart knowledge to younger generations and retire as paupers,” he noted in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on TV3.
Asked if teachers earn up to GH₵3000, Mr Awudu revealed that “For being in the service for 19 years and with a second degree I earn GH₵4066”.
Touching on the government’s Smart Schools project for Senior High Schools (SHS) aimed at promoting e-learning and digitalisation, Mr. Awudu suggested that the project should be extended to the basic schools as well.
According to him, the basic schools, which form the critical aspect of the education ladder, have not seen much investment.
“The government is not pumping so much money as it is being pumped into the senior high schools. When it comes to the SHS, the feeding that is given to them alone surpasses the money that is supposed to be paid to pupils in basic schools per annum. So if you come to SHS the amount of money the government spends on feeding and other perishables per student, per day is just like the money that the government spends per pupil per year in the basic schools.
“Recently, you heard about the government’s wish to establish smart senior high schools and the purchase of some 1.3 million tablets at the cost of about $320 million for SHS students, that is a lot of money and there is nothing wrong with that. The schools must be equipped but in every building the foundation is key. If the pupil is not well brought up at the Kindergarten, not well brought up at the primary, not well brought up at the JHS, they will get to the SHS deficient” he added.
Another issue Mr. Awudu raised was that, headteachers often find tit difficult to register their displeasure, for fear of being dismissed.
“No headteacher can come and sit here and make this discussion with you, he will leave here and go and his dismissal letter will be waiting for him.
“You go to the schools and you are astonished as a Ghanaian, you ask whether this setting is qualified to be a classroom” he further stated.