The Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Chiana-Paga Constituency, Thomas Kwalase, has criticised the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government over its stated intention to decentralise the recruitment and posting of teachers to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), describing the move as retrogressive.
Kwalase’s comments follow a disclosure by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, that the government is considering the decentralisation option, which would allow MMDAs to handle teacher recruitment and postings through a proposed one per cent allocation each of the increased District Assembly Common Fund to the education and health sectors.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Monday, February 9, Kwalase argued that the policy would not serve the best interests of the country, citing past experiences when teacher recruitment was handled at the district level.
“My worry is that there was a time when teacher recruitment was done at the assembly level, and we witnessed what I would describe as gargantuan corruption within the Ghana Education Service (GES). I doubt whether those challenges can be adequately checked if this system is reintroduced.” He said.
He recalled instances where some GES officials at the district level allegedly manipulated recruitment processes for personal gain.
“We all remember those days when some district-level GES officers in charge of recruitment backdated engagement letters. When salary arrears were paid, they shared the proceeds with the recruits. I do not think this will help us in any way.” He stated.
Kwalase acknowledged that the current centralised system of teacher recruitment and posting is not without challenges, but maintained that it remains the better option compared to decentralisation.
“The centralised system serves our needs far better than a decentralised one.” He said.
He therefore urged the NDC government to focus on improving existing systems rather than reversing policies.
“The NDC government needs to take Ghanaians seriously. The systems you meet should be improved upon, not changed in a way that takes us backwards.” Kwalase added.
Mike 105.3FM | Navrongo | David Adapuna
