The Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) has descended heavily on the Minister of Education Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, saying government’s policies under her tenure, continues to make life much more difficult for teachers in the country.
The Vice President of the Coalition, King Ali Awudu, made the assertion in an interview with Citi News while commenting on the scrapping of the teacher motivation allowance by government.
Speaking to Citi News’ Kwame Botchway, Mr. Ali Awudu, accused Prof. Jane Nana Opoku Agyemangof deliberately pursuing policies aimed at making life difficult for teachers.
[contextly_sidebar id=”uuf6jIUjT1akhP8cOh9uCPZhVS93083V”]“The rate at which this Minister is disgracing teachers is just becoming too much. Since she took office, her main aim is to make sure the teachers suffer. She took the teacher trainee allowance which is a motivation for teachers, she took away the car waiver, which is a motivation for teachers, she took away the extra classes allowance, which is a motivation for teachers and today she is taking away the staff incentive.”
He reiterated a point already made by the General Secretary of the CCT, Raymond Boakye Darkwa, saying the motivation allowance was instituted by Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) and not the government, and so it had no business touching it.
“The teacher motivation allowance, first of all, was not instituted by the state. It is not paid by government. It is money that is paid by the PTA so for the ministry to come out to say that government is scrapping the teacher motivation allowance is neither her nor there.”
CCT’s General Secretary, Mr. Raymond Boakye, speaking to Citi News earlier this week, also stated that the motivation allowance, which is GHȼ10 per head for each student at the Senior High School level, was introduced to cater for teachers who had decided to work extra hours in the interest of their students so they could have more time to cover the curriculum.
But the government in announcing the scrapping of the allowance from next year, said the allowance had outlived its usefulness since teachers were now earning improved salaries.
Mr. King Alidu Awudu says teachers may be forced to cut down teaching hours if government implements the directive.
“If government goes ahead to take away the motivation allowance, we shall retaliate by withdrawing the number of hours we have put in it.” he warned.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana