[ 2017-05-15 ]

Yaw Osafo-Marfo, Senior Minister

Teachers no longer respected – Osafo-Marfo
Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Marfo says respect for
teachers in the country has dwindled over the
years.

He said this is regardless of the fact that
teachers play a key role in the development of the
country.

The Senior Minister made this known during the
10th Congregation of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA)
College of Education at Cape Coast.

The former finance minister indicated that the
most important responsibility of a teacher is to
be a role model, urging the graduates to serve as
good role models in society in order to uplift the
image of the teaching profession.

"The teacher normally is considered a role model
in society. Some time back, the teacher, from the
village to the city, were the most respected
professional group. If you were a teacher or
headteacher, no chief took decisions without
consulting you. This is how far we respected
teachers,” he stated.

He, however, added that circumstances are no
longer the same for teachers in the country.

“Do we still respect teachers the same way
today? The answer is a big no because the word
role model for teachers has been abused at all
levels. There were things teachers will not do or
say because they were seen as a professional
group. I am appealing to you to help bring back
that respect that was accorded teachers by acting
as worthy role models, ” he indicated.

On his part, the guest speaker, Prof. Kwesi
Yankah, Minister of State in–charge of Tertiary
Education, also indicated that there cannot be any
meaningful transformation of Ghana’s educational
system if the quality of teacher education at the
basic level is not improved.

He added that teachers have a unique role to play
in nation-building as a result, government is
currently embarking on various projects to ensure
that teachers are well positioned to deliver
efficiently in order to enhance the quality of
teacher education.

He also promised that government has taken a bold
step to restore teacher-trainees monthly
allowances.

He, however, emphasized that the allowance is not
a bait to lure individuals into the teaching
profession but rather meant to encourage those who
genuinely desire to become teachers but cannot
afford the high cost of funding their professional
education.

Source - Starrfmonline.com

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