The Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in the “Kasena-Nankana District”, Felix Atadana, has expressed concern over the increasing movement of teachers from the teaching profession into other sectors, describing it as an indication of widening welfare gaps within the education sector.
According to him, the trend requires urgent attention from education policymakers and other stakeholders to improve the conditions of service and welfare of teachers.
Speaking on the sidelines of World Teachers’ Day on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Monday October 5, Atadana said the contribution of teachers to national development could not be quantified, yet their working conditions continued to deteriorate.
He cited the recent security services recruitment exercise as an example, noting that a significant number of teachers applied to join the security services.
“When they were doing the security recruitment, a lot of teachers applied. This tells you something. It tells you the conditions are not the best.”
Atadana said the challenges confronting teachers needed to be highlighted during the celebration of World Teachers’ Day to draw the attention of duty bearers to the need to improve the welfare and working conditions of teachers.
He linked the quality of education directly to the level of attention given to teacher welfare, stressing that improving the conditions of teachers would contribute to better educational outcomes.
“If you want to build quality education, then you must build teachers as well. You cannot empower the teacher and quality will not improve.”
The GNAT Chairman also called for the celebration of World Teachers’ Day to be decentralised and officially recognised as a national holiday, with activities organised across the country to honour and celebrate the contribution of teachers to national development.
Beyond institutional recognition, Atadana said members of society could also show appreciation to teachers in small but meaningful ways that would make them feel valued and respected.
He expressed concern that respect for the teaching profession had declined over the years, attributing the situation partly to what he described as poor conditions of service for teachers.
He therefore urged education policymakers and stakeholders to prioritise the needs of teachers alongside those of learners.
Atadana also raised concerns about indiscipline in schools, attributing some of the challenges to educational policies that, in his view had weakened teachers’ authority to effectively enforce discipline.
He called for greater collaboration among teachers, parents, education authorities and policymakers to restore the authority and dignity of the teaching profession while creating an environment that supports both effective teaching and learning.
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