Teachers want passport pictures on pay slips

Members of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in the Upper West Region, have appealed to the Controller and Accountant General Department (CAGD) to consider putting workers passport pictures on their pay slips.

The practice, they explained would help prevent the use of the pay slips of others for financial transactions.

Mr Sebastian Y. Sorinye, Regional Chairman of GNAT made the appeal at the 4th Quadrennial Regional Delegates Conference of GNAT in Wa on the theme: “Quality Teachers; Quality Education for all: The Road to 2015.”

He appealed to government to put the necessary machinery in place to conclude all unfinished business for teachers.

Mr Sorinye said: “GNAT is equally reminding all its members to refrain from... acts of indiscipline.”

He announced that 215 of members went on retirement last year while it recorded 75 deaths within the period.

Dr Ephraim Avea Nsoh, Regional Minister noted that teachers are the driving force behind the educational system.

He said there is therefore the need for the nation to invest heavily in the production of quality teachers who deserve to be highly motivated to enable them to deliver of their best.

Dr Nsoh said the attainment of the Millennium Development Goal 2, which seeks to achieve universal primary education by 2015, would be a mirage if attention is not paid to teacher training and development, hence the upgrading of teacher training colleges to diploma awarding colleges to enhance their output.

Government is also in the process of providing 20 more teacher training colleges to expand the intake of students and also meet the increasing demand for trained teachers. 

The Regional Minister advised teachers seeking study leave with pay to follow the laid down procedures and apply for approved courses to avert having their names deleted from the pay roll.

“Those of you, who are also pursuing distant learning programmes, should not do that at the expense of their students... who invariably lose a lot of contract hours due to your absence from school,” Dr Nsoh warned.

He urged personnel of the Supervisory Unit of Ghana Education Service to intensify their efforts to ensure that teachers stay at post to ensure an improved performance at the basic education certificate examination.