In a bold move, Stephen Desu, a concerned teacher and founder of the Innovative Teacher Union, has taken the National Teaching Council (NTC), Ghana Education Service (GES), and the Attorney General (AG) to court over a proposed deduction from the professional development allowance.
Desu is seeking legal action against these entities, highlighting concerns regarding the implementation of the deduction and the lack of legal authority in making such decisions.
The backlash began when the teacher unions – Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) – submitted a petition to the NTC and GES.
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The unions had agreed upon several deductions during their final meeting, including GH¢150 for three national CPD day trainings, GH¢200 for a license card, GH¢100 for license renewal, and GH¢50 for teacher registration.
These deductions would amount to a total of GH¢500, which would be subtracted from the yet-to-be-paid GH¢1200 professional development allowance.
While Desu acknowledges the importance of professional development for teachers, he questions the legality of the NTC’s actions.
He argues that the NTC does not possess a Legal Instrument (LI) that grants them the authority to mandate these deductions.
Furthermore, he asserts that neither the NTC nor the GES possesses the legal right to make such deductions without proper authorization.
Desu’s concerns stem from previous instances where teachers were purportedly taken for granted, such as during the controversial “one teacher one laptop” project.
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He fears that if decisive action is not taken, teachers will continue to bear the brunt of questionable decisions.
With his case now in court, Desu hopes to shed light on these issues and ensure that the rights and interests of teachers are protected.
