The management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has begun investigations into the challenges teachers faced during the first week of tr...
The management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has begun investigations into the challenges teachers faced during the first week of training on the new curriculum.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview, the Head of Public Relations of the GES, Ms Cassandra Twum Ampofo, said: "Management's attention has been drawn to the plates of insipid food served and in some cases not befitting packaging at some of the training centres."
Last Tuesday, the first batch of 152,000 circuit supervisors, head teachers and teachers of public basic schools began a week-long training in the new curriculum, which ended last Saturday.
The GES management said it was impressed by the quality of training given to the teachers and it was expected that the new Standards Based Curriculum would be implemented effectively and efficiently when the roll-out started next month.
During the week, videos went viral from some of the training centres where the teachers were served with food that a section of society described as unacceptable.
Describing it as, "really unfortunate", Ms Ampofo explained that the investigations would seek to find out "why and how this happened in some of the centres."
She said some teachers at some of the centres also did not sign for their GH¢50 transport allowance because they wanted it to be paid to them at the training centres and "this also created scenes too’’.
Assurance
"Management is not happy about the development and will like to assure teachers that as key stakeholders we will continue to ensure that their needs are met so that we can collectively provide quality education to the Ghanaian child," Ms Ampofo said.
She explained that the allowances could not be paid because management intended to write for tax exemption so that the 20 per cent withholding tax, which, by law, had to be deducted from the GH¢50, would be disallowed.
"This information was communicated to all regional and district directorates to make it known to participants.
"The allowances will be paid early next week and so all should remain calm. Management of GES has their interest at heart," Ms Ampofo explained.
She gave an assurance that measures had been put in place to ensure that such incidents were not repeated in the second week, which begins today.
