Education Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, has clarified that his comments suggesting diploma holders attended colleges with worst results were taken out of context.
In parts of a video which had already gone viral on social media, Dr Opoku-Prempeh is seen purportedly describing diploma teachers as having attended colleges with the worst results.
The video has since sparked anger among a section of the public including some aggrieved teachers who are demanding an apology from the Minister.
But on Wednesday the Minister clarified when speaking on Kumasi-based Nhyira FM that there was no way he would rain insults on teachers for the selfless and sacrificial jobs they do in the country.
“It’s surprising that people would seek to twist my views and piece them up to get a distortion just to achieve devilish plot. I will never insult teachers because we are the only government that is committed to paying teachers’ huge arrears owed them from 2013 to 2016,″ Napo, as he is popularly called clarified.
Commenting specifically on the video in circulation, Napo wondered the motivation to twist his views in such a criminal manner.
He said the video recording has been carefully pieced and his views distorted to suggest an insult on teachers, especially diploma holding ones.
The New Patriotic Party, the Minister of Education noted, has offered Diploma teachers the opportunity to do a four-year degree, a sort of top-up to their grades.
The Manhyia South lawmaker revealed that Diploma holding teachers, who would take advantage to get grades at the university, are sure to get better remuneration close to five times what they got when they had only Diploma certificates.
The Minister assured both Diploma and graduate teachers of the government’s commitment to leading the case for their welfare.
He noted that more incentives would be rolled out to ensure teachers do well in their favourite profession.
“Teacher award schemes and scholarships for further studies are all in the pipeline to motivate Ghanaian teachers”, he posited.