The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has asked the Ghana Education Service (GES) Council to consider aligning the pre-tertiary academic calender with the two-semester calender of the universities.
That, it said, would help provide many teachers the opportunity to pursue further studies without necessarily leaving the classroom midstream to the disadvantage of school children.
Mr. David Ofori Acheampong, General Secretary of GNAT, said this at the opening of the “2016, Project Oversees” course for selected teachers in Kumasi.
“Project Overseas” is a professional development project between GNAT and Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF) to upgrade the competency and professional skills of teachers to enhance classroom performance.
He stated that professional development of teachers was a major priority of the Association that was why it had become central to its activities.
GNAT had over the years worked closely with CTF to improve the competency of its members to raise the image of the teaching profession.
He used the occasion to remind the GES about the need to provide Circuit Supervisors with adequate resources to strengthen supervision in schools.
Mr. Jacob Kor, Director General of GES in an address read for him, said government had taken steps to improve the quality of education at all levels.
He cited the re-training and capacity building for science and mathematics teachers in basic and senior high schools (SHS), supply of science equipment and retooling of science laboratories in SHS.
Mr Kor encouraged teacher unions to use some of their resources to teacher upgrading programmes to compliment the government’s efforts at raising the standard of education.
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Source: GNA