Free SHS: Teachers in double track schools must be compensated – GNAT

The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Tanko Musah, has voiced concerns over inadequate compensation and insufficient rest periods for teachers working under the double-track school system.

Musah’s comments come in response to recent statements by the Minister of Education, Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum, who cautioned against the immediate abolition of the double-track system, citing potential negative effects on students’ educational prospects.

Dr. Adutwum’s warning was directed at the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which has pledged to abolish the system if it wins the December 7 general elections.

In an interview with Citi News, Musah emphasized the critical need for sufficient rest for teachers, highlighting the strain the double-track system has placed on them.

He called on the government to develop a comprehensive compensation plan for teachers operating within this framework, underscoring the importance of supporting educators to ensure both their well-being and the quality of education provided.

“Giving the worker leave is good. It enables the worker to rest, refresh, prepare and come back. Even the labour law tells us that a worker cannot sell his leave. Leave now is compulsory. Even vehicles, there’s a time every month or a time you need to go for servicing. What about you human beings?

“And so the concern is that teachers who are in the double track schools are not resting and the compensation given to them is not coming.

“What we all need to look at is that if the double track cannot be resolved this year, then the schools that will be doing the double track should look at what package we will have for teachers because we cannot have a system where the teachers in those schools are working 24/7 without compensation. They must be compensated.”