Cabinet has approved a proposal for the retainment of teachers in public universities after retirement.
Per the proposal, Associate Professors and Professors shall be eligible for post-retirement contracts of ten more years, while senior lectures will qualify for just five.
The Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku- Prempeh, said the proposal had become necessary as part of measures to bolster and maintain a critical mass of key academic staff to support the anticipated significant increase in tertiary enrolment as a consequences of the Free Senior High School Programme.
He said it was also aimed at retaining highly skilled and experienced teachers in public universities.
Additionally, it would also help streamline and regularise the retainment of academic staff to support the core business of universities, the Minister said.
Dr Opoku-Prempeh made this known when he presented a statement in Parliament on ‘Education and Teacher Reforms’ under the Akufo-Addo administration.
Breaking down the form in which the contract will be, the Minister said that the initial contract for the Associate Professors and Professors shall be for five years up to age 65, after which the contract shall be offered on a 2 2 1, based on need and good health.
Senior Lectures, on the other hand, shall be eligible for post-retirement contract up to age 65, which will also take the 2 2 1 form, and is also subject to need and good health.
He, however, reiterated the fact that mandatory retirement for academic staff of public universities shall continue to be 60 years, in line with the constitutional provisions.
Dr Opoku-Prempeh said other benefits of the policy were that it would boost graduate enrolment and the training of young faculty staff among others, as well as helping in the quality of research outputs at the various research faculties in the universities.
Aside this major proposal, the Minister also used the platform to announce other reforms the government was making to improve the quality of education in the country.
He said Cabinet had also approved the Common Core Programme (CCP) Curriculum for Junior and Senior High schools, and it is expected to be rolled out at the beginning of the next academic year.
He said the CCP is a carefully designed curriculum for learners in JHS 1 (Basic 7) to SHS 1 (Basic 10) as part of the learning experiences necessary to prepare them for higher education and the world of work.
Additionally, the CCP is designed around building character and nurturing values, in addition to ensuring a seamless progression for all targeted learners, from JHS to SHS. At the end of the CCP, learners have the options of branching into either the academic pathway or the career pathway for two years (SHS 2 to SHS 3), leading to either a high school or career-ready diploma, the Minister observed.
He also intimated that the curriculum is focused on ensuring that “we have the dream Ghanaian child who is competent and able to match up to any of their counterparts anywhere in the world.”
Mr Opoku-Prempeh also said that in order to further deepen commitments to teachers and their professional growth, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government was introducing a Professional Teacher Allowance of GH¢1,200 per year for professional teachers, and GH¢600 per year for non-professional teachers.
It would be recalled that parliament in 2008 passed the Education Act (Act 778) to setup a National Teaching Council (NTC) with responsibility for setting professional standards, registering and licensing teachers.
The aim of the teacher licensure programme is primarily to enable qualified teachers to acquire a professional license and prepare them to meet the demands of the National Teaching Standards as well as Global Standards of minimum knowledge, skills, values and attitudes necessary to deliver effectively in schools in order to improve the image of teachers to be at par with other professions.
He hinted that with the introduction of the Professional Teacher Allowance, teachers will invest in improving and upgrading their skills and keep abreast with modern trends to assist in improving learning outcomes.
The post 10 more years for Professors after 60 appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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