The Central Region Regional Chairman of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Augustine Kofi Pennin insists that although the teachers union is in support of government's Free Senior High School (SHS) Programme it has some serious concerns about the manner in which the double track system for public senior high schools is being implemented.
"NAGRAT is not against the FREE SHS, NAGRAT is not against the double-track system... It's how the policy has been rolled out especially for the double track system that we have a beef with the government," Mr Panyin said during the Daily Graphic/STAR-Ghana National Dialogue on Education held on Thursday, August 23 in Cape Coast.
"We think the government should really respect our views, In fact, when it comes to the Senior High, NAGRAT may be more than 50% (of the teaching staff). In fact, we are so committed, the government should have consulted us but we have moved further.
"Currently, the dialogue has to go on and the government has to show commitment. Currently, the government just run to the radio stations through their own communicators and that is very, very bad. In fact, they need to stop that thing once and for all".
Mr Pennin during an interaction at the dialogue explained that NAGRAT was just pointing out some of the problems that the policy is likely to face during its implementation.
"We want to just say to the whole nation that NAGRAT is not and we have not stated it any book or any print that we are against the policy. We have come out with the teething problems and we have addressed and we are expecting that government will listen to some of the things we have said".
<<Print>>