Why are teachers being treated unfairly? ATAG explains.
Do you agree with the notion that teachers are being treated unfairly? If so, you’re not alone. Thousands of parents and students have joined up with the All Teachers Alliance Ghana (ATAG) to demand equal pay for teachers across Ghana.
Why are teachers being treated unfairly? ATAG explains.
We want to make it clear that the Ghana government has been unfair to the newly trained teachers who have been sent to various locations from February 2022.
These freshly trained teachers were taught six months ago, but they haven’t yet received their identification numbers or been to the ministry of finance to provide their biometrics for future salary payments.
The government has mostly turned a deaf ear to all requests for Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) from public sector workers.
And it’s easy to see why the pay gap between teachers in different states is simply unacceptable, especially given the significant workload and qualifications involved in teaching work.
Follow this to read more about why ATAG thinks this and what you can do about it!
The Trend of Low Teacher Salaries
In a 2015 survey, 1 in 5 school districts reported having difficulty retaining teachers because of salaries below GHC 2,000, while one-third reported difficulty filling vacancies in high-demand subjects such as math and science.
Wages have been stagnant for decades: Elementary school teachers make less today than they did more than 30 years ago; even experienced math and science instructors earn an average per year about 20 percent less than comparable workers in other industries.
What’s Going On in Ghana
In 2016, Ghana passed a bill that barred public school teachers from receiving tenure after their first year and eliminated their ability to appeal for pay raises in court.
While these changes were made to help protect hardworking taxpayers, many feel like they’re unfair to educators who play an integral role in children’s lives and futures.
How Can We Fix This?
The best way to fix it is by educating people about how much these teachers do for us and how important they are.
They’re not just an educator, but a parent-like figure, a therapist and so much more! If we can make people understand why these jobs aren’t worth what they’re paid, then maybe we can get things changed for them for once and for all!
The Problem with Low Teacher Salaries in Ghana
With all due respect, we request that GES and the Ministry of Education act quickly to address the plight of these recently trained teachers who were abandoned and suffering in their various positions.
Before acting to save them, the government shouldn’t wait until it learns that some of them have died from their frustrations or from becoming hopelessly desperate.
Every public sector employee in the nation is struggling economically, and if we leave these new professionals in their current situation, we are depriving them of their rights and treating them unfairly for no fault of their own.
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