Teachers have been suppressed for long – Thomas Musah laments

Thomas Musah Tanko, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), has raised concerns about teacher suppression in the Ghana Education Service (GES). He specifically mentioned issues with career progression beyond deputy director.

In an interview on Citi Eyewitness News, he thanked President John Dramani Mahama and Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu for their help in promoting teachers. However, he questioned why there has been a delay in fixing promotional barriers.

Musah explained that the current system restricts teachers from advancing past the deputy director rank. He noted that promotion to director two requires three specific conditions to be met. These include the retirement or resignation of a district director or their passing.

He emphasized that without these conditions, teachers cannot move up from deputy director to director two. GNAT had previously threatened a nationwide strike by April 30 due to delays in promoting over 1,000 qualified teachers.

In response, President Mahama ordered the immediate promotion of eligible deputy directors. The Minister of Education then announced a committee to clarify promotion processes and implement professional licensing exams for teachers.

Musah viewed the President’s directive as a positive step forward. He expressed hope that it would lead to lasting solutions for teacher promotions.