Patience Adu-Kyei, a graduand, shaking hands with the big men on the dais
THE GOVERNMENT has been told to, with immediate effect, ensure the full payment of all allowances due teachers in the country, including the scrapped trainee teachers allowance, to motivate teachers to deliver to the satisfaction of the citizenry.
Most Rev. Titus K. Awotwi Pratt, Council Chairman of Wesley College of Education (WESCO) in Kumasi, who made the call, stressed the need for government, to as matter of urgency, do everything possible to boost the morale of teachers in the country through prompt payment of their allowances.
According to him, teachers play critical roles in the development of the country as they (teachers) develop the human resource base that the country mainly relies on for swift and effective transformation, adding that the welfare of teachers should not be toyed with.
He said the Christian Council of Ghana, Conference of Catholic Bishops and Council of Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches, had agreed at a recent crunch meeting that government must pay all allowances due teachers.
Most Rev. Awotwi disclosed that they have charged the Ghana Education Service (GES) and other relevant bodies to take their demand seriously so as to help boost teaching and learning in the country.
He was speaking during the 8th Graduation Ceremony of WESCO in Kumasi on Saturday. A total number of 274 students, who had successfully completed a three-year professional teacher’s training course and have obtained Diploma in Basic Education (DBE), graduated on the day.
Rev. Awotwi implored the graduates to lead exemplary lifestyles and act as good role models wherever they find themselves so that the name of WESCO would be honoured adding that it is important that the graduates also impart the knowledge they acquired to their students.
The Acting Principal of WESCO, Mrs. Charlotte Rockson, on her part, expressed delight about the huge improvement in the academic performance of students of WESCO in recent years, saying “in the previous year, two students obtained first class as against eleven, this year”.
She said the school is currently facing challenges such as a dilapidated classroom block, which posed great danger to teachers and students, inadequate dining hall and the delay in the completion of a new science block, just to mention a few, calling on the appropriate bodies to come to the aid of the school.
Mrs. Rockson also appealed passionately to parents and guardians to promptly pay the fees of their wards for effective running of the school.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi