The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has assured teachers that government will review the country’s pension system to improve benefits for Ghanaian workers, particularly educators who have spent decades in service to the nation.
According to the Minister, the review is intended to address institutional and administrative challenges associated with the current pension framework and to enhance the lump sum paid to beneficiaries.
“Let me assure you that His Excellency John Dramani Mahama will review the Pensions Act, 2010 (Act 766), to respond to some of the institutional and administrative challenges with its implementation, including issues relating to the lump sum of beneficiaries,” Mr. Iddrisu said.
He gave the assurance while addressing delegates at the 7th Quadrennial National Conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in Accra on January 5.
The Education Minister also expressed deep concern about the poor performance of students in the recently concluded West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), describing the results as worrying to both the Ministry of Education and stakeholders in the education sector.
“The outcome of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination was worrying to the Ministry of Education and to all of you,” he said. “We must ask ourselves whether the outcome of WASSCE truly reflects the quality of our teaching and the performance of our students.”
Mr. Iddrisu identified challenges in the application of knowledge as a key factor contributing to the poor results. “The problem was the application of knowledge to real-life situations, the ability to interpret information critically, solve unfamiliar problems and express ideas clearly,” he noted.
He also pointed to limited contact hours between teachers and students as a major concern, largely due to the introduction of the double-track system.
“We must not lose sight of the lack of adequate contact hours between teachers and students arising from the double-track system, and government will resolve this problem,” the Minister assured.
He called for a collective effort by teachers, education managers and policymakers to improve teaching and learning outcomes nationwide.
