The Tamale branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is fuming over an advert which is currently running on GTV, radio and portraying teachers as satisfied with the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure.
The Better Ghana ad has teachers giving testimonies of how the SSSS had improved their standards of living.
The teachers in the ad claim to be receiving responsibility, professional and retention allowances under the SSSS and are thankful to government for the policy.
But the Tamale branch of GNAT claim the ad is misleading.
KB Abu spokesperson of the Tamale GNAT at a press conference, Wednesday said the ad is pregnant with half truths and must be withdrawn with due apologies offered to teachers.
“The said adverts contain a number of untruths; the professional allowance mentioned in the advert was scrapped with the introduction of the SSSS. The responsibility allowance is also gone because all teachers like other public sector workers are now placed on the SSSS based on the result of their jobs.
“We therefore demand immediate withdrawal of the Better Ghana adverts which portrays teachers in such a bad light; apology from GTV and originators of the Better Ghana advert for causing embarrassment to teachers and the teaching profession,” he stated.
KB Abu also called upon the Association to take steps to bring to order persons used in the said advert.
But the Ghana Education Ministry said the teachers who were used in the ad did nothing wrong.
Director of Public Affairs of the Ministry Paul Krampah said the teachers were only stating the facts as individuals and not in the name of a political party or an association.
“The teachers are expressing their concern about something that has actually affected their lives. They are saying that over the last three years thee have been improvement in their lives and that is perfectly true.
He said he as a teacher is personally enjoying the improvement in the standard of living and can bare witness to the testimonies of the teachers.
“It is a reality. It is something that is true…They are expressing their views as individual teachers and not as members of political parties. There are people who don’t appreciate anything. Others do appreciate what others do for them,” he said.
He insisted the teachers in the advert did nothing wrong to be reprimanded.
