The President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Prosper Tackie, says teachers cannot become millionaires or billionaires by relying only on their monthly salaries.
He, however, said teachers could build wealth through the opportunities available within and outside the teaching profession.
Mr Tackie made the remarks at the maiden edition of the Atinka Teachers Forum held at the Sika Hall in Accra.
He said while teaching was an important profession, the salaries earned by teachers alone were not enough to make them wealthy.
“No one enters teaching to become a millionaire,” he said, adding that teachers could become wealthy through other legitimate activities linked to the profession.
Mr Tackie therefore encouraged teachers to explore opportunities that could improve their financial position while continuing to perform their duties as educators.
He also called on government to take a second look at the welfare of teachers, stressing that no education policy could succeed without teachers.
According to him, teachers’ conditions of service already contain several benefits, including support for healthcare and accommodation.
He explained that under the collective agreement, eligible teachers could receive up to three months’ rent advance when renting accommodation.
However, he said the major challenge was the implementation and accessibility of some of these benefits.
Mr Tackie urged teachers to understand their conditions of service and the processes for accessing the benefits available to them.
He also appealed to teachers to remain united and avoid politicising issues concerning their welfare.
He said salary increases under the Single Spine Salary Structure were negotiated through organised labour at the national level, and teachers needed to understand the process.
Mr Tackie assured teachers that GNAT would continue to engage government and other stakeholders to improve their welfare and working conditions.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Ebenezer Madugu
