A retired educationist in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, Jonathan Aborah, has called for urgent and sustained attention to the welfare and working conditions of teachers across the country.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Monday, September 28, Aborah cautioned that neglecting teachers’ welfare and working conditions could undermine their ability to deliver quality education to learners.
He said teachers who remain committed to their duties despite the challenges confronting the education sector deserve adequate institutional support, fair compensation and meaningful motivation.
Highlighting the demanding nature of the teaching profession, Aborah explained that teachers’ responsibilities extend far beyond classroom instruction.
He noted that teachers routinely undertake administrative and academic tasks, including preparing lesson plans, setting exercises, marking scripts and assessing students’ performance, often outside official working hours.
According to him, the workload becomes particularly challenging when teachers are required to manage overcrowded classrooms with limited teaching and learning resources while working under tight deadlines.
Aborah also pointed out that teachers face personal, domestic and financial responsibilities, which could add to the pressure associated with their professional duties.
“If you are dedicated, if you want teaching to produce results, teachers need to be motivated,” he stated.
While acknowledging that a small number of teachers may underperform, Aborah said such cases should not be used to overlook the welfare needs of the majority of teachers who remain committed to their work.
He stressed that the quality of education is critical to national development because teachers are responsible for training professionals who contribute to every sector of the economy.
“If we don’t have the knowledge, we don’t have the profession. Where will our society be?” he questioned.
Aborah therefore urged the government, the Ministry of Education and other relevant stakeholders to prioritise comprehensive reforms in teachers’ welfare and working conditions to ensure they are adequately supported to educate and prepare the next generation.
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