The President of National Association of Graduate Teachers, Christian Addai-Poku has renewed calls for World Teachers Day, marked October 5, to be declared a holiday in Ghana.
Today is our day, he said on the AM Show on the Joy News channel on Multi TV, but “unfortunately we are being asked to go into the classroom and teach.”
He said many teachers are unable to participate or observe the National Teachers Day event which is being held in Koforidua.
Although Ghana has at least 13 public holidays, the NAGRAT president does not believe adding one more will be excessive.
This is because unlike the other holidays, the proposed Teachers Day holiday should be limited to “just teachers and students”.
Addai-Poku said for the past two years, NAGRAT has been advocating for the holiday by appealing to the Education ministry.
After praising teachers for their effort despite “bashing” from stakeholders, the NAGRAT president also used the occasion to lament the conditions under which they work.
He said teaching conditions are “difficult, chaotic and frustrating”.
The NAGRAT President said teachers are not properly resourced to do their work and they are having to improvise in the classroom.
Addai-Poku bemoaned these de-motivating circumstances pointing out that “if you send a messenger anywhere you empower the messenger to deliver”.
But for teachers this is not the case, he said.
The National Teachers Day event is also used to award the National Best Teacher and the Best School Award.
At the 23rd edition of the National Best Teacher and 3rd Best School Award 2017, Planning Minister Prof. George Gyan Baffour stressed government’s commitment to teachers.
He said the winner of the best teacher award will be granted study leave and a scholarship to pursue higher qualifications.