The Eastern Regional chapter of the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools,has cautioned Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum ,a deputy education minister, to desist from threatening headteachers of the various public basic schools across the country.
A situation the group described as a threat to the comfortability of their positions.
The group was responding to a comment which was said to had been made by The Deputy Education Minister, in a daily guide newspaper’s May 19 publication.
In a press statement issued by the headteachers on March 29,2019,the head teachers described the Eduetion Minister’s comments are a threat to the comfortability of the positions.
“The Conference Of Heads of Basic school in the Eastern region read with utter dismay the pronouncement of the deputy minister for education, Dr. Adutwum to demote head teachers who do not perform.”
“We take strong exceptions to his pronouncement published by the Daily Guide news paper on the 19th day of March, 2019 when he addressed stakeholders in education and we regard his statement as a threat to the comfortability of our positions.”
The headteachers indicated that the performance of the pupil is not only better when he/she passes BECE with flying colours.
The statement further said thst Failure at the BECE does not necessarily mean the pupil is weak and that should not merit the demotion of the head teacher .
Defending their positions, the head teachers argued that There were pupils who can do the practical work but unfortunately cannot write fluently to pass their examinations.
The head teachers opined that performance of the pupil does not only rely on the effort of the head teacher but on all the stakeholders including his ministery and for that matter the government of Ghana.
“It is the collective contributions of all the stakeholders that goes to shape the beauty and the performance of the pupil in the classroom.” The statement said.
The headteachers lamented on the nature of some of the school buildings in which the pupils are being taught ,as well as the unavailable teaching and learning materials for some of the schools.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as I speak to you, if you see some structures from which pupils learn, you will only write them off, not to talk of where teachers and their heads live.”
“Heads and their teachers commute long distances to and from their places of work due to poor facilities at such villages.
Capitation grant is in arrears for almost one academic year and there are no text books even at the primary schools.”
“Teachers use their own resources to sometimes buy items like chalk to move teaching and learning”
The minister and the government cannot claim no knowledge of these age long issues at the education sector.” They argued.
“What we expect from the minister is support and collaboration, not intimidation and threats of demotion.”
“Often, we expect the head teacher to be innovative and resourceful but ladies and gentlemen, for how long can the head teacher and his teachers continue to depend on their meagre salaries to run the day to day activities of the schools? ” They asked.
“Teachers are always expected to improvise for the real objects for teaching. Improvisation also goes with money. Where do head teachers get the money from?”
“And, come to think of it, can government ask the military and the police to improvise in the defence of the nation?”
“Can the doctor also improvise for treatment of ailments?”
“Like asking the doctor to use something that looks like syringe and needle to give injections because the health ministry has not provided real ones?” They questioned.
“We urge the minister to be carefull with the actions he takes today, because the collapse of the education sector is a doom for the whole nation.”
“We further urge the minister to meet the plethora of challenges at his ministery head on and profer sustainable solutions not demotion of headbteachers for the non-performance of their students.” They suggested.
“The head teacher is ready to work given the needed support and logistcs.” The statement concluded.
Source: EducationGhana.net
Discover more from EducationGhana
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
