Clement Apaak, Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament
A Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak, has stated that Ghana can not celebrate World Teacher Day today when textbooks have not been provided for teachers to use for teaching.
The legislator in a statement posited that Ghanaian teachers are not happy because their conditions of service are not optimum.
“This is why we must feel obligated as a people to ensure that the right conditions are in place to elicit the very best from our teachers.
“The challenges teachers face are numerous. One such challenge in recent times is the lack of textbooks in excess of two years after the introduction of the standard-based curriculum.”
He said although the theme for this year focuses on how teachers could help in helping students to recover from the Covid-19 outbreak, that is not the case in Ghana because textbooks are not available.
“The theme for today’s global celebration of teachers is: “Teachers at the heart of education recovery”. How are our basic school teachers going to help with educational recovery without textbooks based on a basic curriculum available?”
Before Parliament’s going on recess, the legislator raised questions over the matter demanding, that textbooks are distributed to the teachers to enhance teaching and learning.
Read the full statement below
No Textbooks On World Teachers’ Day
Today October 5, 2021, we celebrate our hardworking teachers for their irreplaceable services and sacrifices to society and our nation.
Happy Teachers’ day, though I know many teachers are not happy in Ghana because their conditions of service are not optimum. This is why we must feel obligated as a people to ensure that the right conditions are in place to elicit the very best from our Teachers.
The challenges teachers face are numerous. One such challenge in recent times is the lack of textbooks in excess of two years after the introduction of the standard-based curriculum.
The theme for today’s global celebration of teachers is: “Teachers at the heart of education recovery”. How are our basic school teachers going to help with educational recovery without textbooks based on a basic curriculum available?
After several assurances, including one given by the Minister for Education, Hon. Yaw Adutum, on Thursday, June 10th, 2021 on the floor of Parliament, in response to a question I asked, we are still waiting for the textbooks.
In the attached video, the Minister in response to my insistence for timeliness on when the textbooks will be available said the books will be in schools three months from June 10th 2021, the day I asked the question. Today is October 5, 2021, International Teacher’s Day, and we still have no textbooks for our basic schools.
Government must apologize to Teachers, pupils, and Ghanaians for the failure to make textbooks available. Government must ensure that our basic schools get textbooks immediately. It’s long overdue.
Dr. Clement Apaak
M.P Builsa South and Deputy Ranking Member On Education Committee Of Parliament