Reconcile with teachers before December polls or face their wrath – Educationist cautions Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang
Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
An educationist, a councellor Daniel Fenyi has cautioned the Vice Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang to immediately reconnect and reconcile with Ghanaian teachers before the December 2020 general elections or be ready to face their wrath.
According Counsellors Daniel Fenyi, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has lost trust with the teaching profession due to her abysmal performances as a former Education Minister during former President John Dramani Mahama’s regime.
In series of his revelation in a press statement sighted by Coverghana.com.gh said, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang has abandoned the education sector and busily trying to catch up with other sectors forgetting that, she is well known by teachers than any of other profession.
Councellor Daniel Fenyi added that, Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang as an educationist should focus more attention on the education sector than any other sectors but failed to do so. According to him, her inability to handle the sector effectively in the electioneering campaign was as a result of her failure to fulfill major policies under her leadership at the Ministry of Education leading to cancellation of teacher trainees allowances, teachers legacy arrears among many.
“Teachers feel she messed up the education sector. Their misgivings are deep rooted, not only for her poor performance, but also because she is a teacher herself and many expected her to represent the interests of teachers better, just as the late Prof Atta Mills fairly did. Interestingly, the teacher apathy towards Naana runs across all levels and categories of teachers- basic, secondary and tertiary teachers, and even trainee teachers in Colleges.” Councellor Daniel Fenyi explained.
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Read below his full statement copied to the front deck of Coverghana.com.gh
There’s something OFF about Prof. Naana and I think she should find it and fix it before December 7. It’s quite difficult to put a finger on it, but as Counsellor Daniel Fenyi, I’ve attempted some explanation of what could possibly be OFF. It’s not surprising she’s ditched the education sector for the markets, trying to appeal to market women and the feminism world when the education sector should have been her strongest hold. I’m not sure if the ‘illiterate’ market space would ‘connect’ with a ‘university professor’ though.
In my several media and face-to-face engagements in political discourses with teachers, none sound positive towards Naana (apart from the minority NDC card bearing teachers). To put it undecoratedly, she does not appeal to the average Ghanaian teacher (as a politician).
Teachers feel she messed up the education sector. Their misgivings are deep rooted, not only for her poor performance, but also because she is a teacher herself and many expected her to represent the interests of teachers better, just as the late Prof Atta Mills fairly did. Interestingly, the teacher apathy towards Naana runs across all levels and categories of teachers- basic, secondary and tertiary teachers, and even trainee teachers in Colleges.
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Under her, some teachers worked for 2/3 years and received only 3 months salary. Nursing and trainee teacher allowances were cancelled. Blatant freeze was put on teacher recruitment. But for God, Naana nearly cancelled the Book and Research Allowance (BRA) for lecturers as if she didn’t know it’s relevance. In fact, she made it look like lecturers don’t conduct any research but just “chop” the money when she (as a university professor) should have known better. Even chalk became a topic for NATIONAL discussion.
Fixing the OFF
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Naana should make conscious efforts to appeal, reconnect and ‘reconcile’ with teachers by
1. making SPECIFIC commitments on what she intends to do for teachers in terms of employment, salaries, allowances and pensions.
2. telling lecturers whether the BRA, in its current form, will be maintained, increased, or removed.
3. coming clear on teacher trainees; their allowance and postings.
SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh
