Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia has revealed that the government has cleared 70,000 teachers’ salary arrears since assuming power 20 months ago.
Dr Bawumia said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government inherited salary arrears owed some 100,000 teachers through promotion benefits or otherwise.
Speaking at the commemoration of the World Teachers’ Day at Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High, Legon (Presec) in Accra, the Vice President noted that the government has since reduced that number significantly.
“As we speak we have reduced that through the validation process to just 30,000 teachers so we are on course and should eliminate that soon,” he promised
Addressing the audience on the theme “The Right to Education Means Right to Qualified Teachers,” Dr Bawumia noted that the NPP government’s policy on teachers has increasingly sought to address the welfare of teachers and upgrade the standardof their training.
He stated that he has no doubt that the newly introduced teachers’ licensure exams “will raise the standard of the profession to be at par with others”.
“The aim of the licensure exams is to enable candidates acquire a professional license and prepare to meet the demands of the national teaching standard as well as the global standards of possessing the minimum knowledge, skills, values and attitude necessary to deliver effectively in schools,” he stated.
“No country can ensure quality education and ignore teachers,” he added.
He reiterated that the President Nana Akufo-Addo-led government is committed to increasing the training standards of teachers which is why the government is upgrading the Colleges of Education to University Colleges.
That game-changing move will make a Bachelor’s Degree the minimum requirement to teach at the basic level in Ghana, the Vice President noted.
Dr Bawumia added that the celebration of the ‘Teachers’ Day’ is to motivate the teachers to give off their best.
He also lauded the awards scheme for teachers, adding that “corporate bodies and individuals should donate to the course in recognising good work of teachers”.
“Thanks all who donated across the years,” he added. He also assured teachers who haven’t received awards to be hopeful of some.
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