NPP will place teachers first - Education minister-designate

A government under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would ensure that teachers who upgrade their qualifications and skills are promoted promptly and their salary increases take immediate effect.

Responding to questions at the appointments committee of parliament, he said "How I intend [to motivate teachers] probably doesn’t matter, but how the government intends or what the government puts into action is what will matter. But teacher motivation and teachers at the centre of the NPP educational reform is very well stated in our manifesto and other pronouncements made by his Excellency the President.

"The teacher should be the fulcrum or the pivot of which our educational success should be measured. No matter what you will put in, you need the teacher to ensure that you get quality educational outcomes. The educational outcomes we know are better students, better informed knowledgeable students, students with good skills with the attitude and aptitude to work as captured in Ghana’s Educational Policy Act 778.

"It is clear that before you can do that you have to look at the cost implications, you have to look at the incentive package, you have to be discriminatory against whether it is a rural or urban teacher. These decisions will have to be taken by His Excellency. Upon advice and recommendations, then we will proceed.

"But we have stated that without the teacher our educational reforms will come to zero, so the teacher at the centre of quality educational outcome is imperative. His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assures me that I could read because I was taught by a teacher, so the teacher first is the NPP manifesto."

Speaking on the number of years senior high school students must spend at school, he said government is yet to take a decision for a reversal of the three-year senior high school system to a four-year one.

"I think His Excellency must decide based upon expert advice and opinion whether we go back to three or four years, I don’t see a specific manifesto promise on that but we govern with expert opinion and expert advice and look and sense the political temperature for His Excellency to decide," he said.