GNAT must lead in shaping teachers’ growth — Abuakwa South MP
The leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and other teacher-related organisations have been advised to lead in shaping the professional growth of teachers to enhance effective teaching and learning in order to produce quality manpower for the country.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa South, Dr Kingsley Kwame Agyeman, gave the advice at the Eastern Regional GNAT 7th Quadrennial (54th) Regional Delegates Conference held at Kibi College of Education on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
“We cannot leave the continuous development of teachers to occasional donor-funded projects. There must be a structured, national system that allows teachers to advance through learning, mentorship and innovation. GNAT and other teacher organisations can work with the National Teaching Council (NTC) to design frameworks that are not only fair, but future-oriented.
“GNAT must take the lead in raising and enforcing professional standards.
When the union is seen not just as defender of its members, but as a guardian of public trust, it earns greater legitimacy,” he said.
The two-day event, which included the election of new regional executives for the next four years, was on the theme: “Educating an African fit for the 21st Century: The role of policymakers and the unions in Ghana”.
The new executive included the Chairman, Patrick Boison; the Vice Chairman, Samuel Aboagye; the Treasurer, Berlinda Addobea Afari; a Trustee, Rev. Michael Appiah Oppong; the Basic Schools representative, Josephine Atuah; the Senior High/Senior High Technical Schools Representative, Bright Ackom, and the TVET Representative, Patience Agyeiwaa.
The rest are the Teachers Fund Representative, Roger Sunday Nyaaba; the National Executive Committee Representative, Sandra Donkor; the Youth Coordinator, Leonard Osei Danso Koranteng; the GNAT-Ladies Association (GNAT-LAS) Coordinator, Rita Blepo, and the Education and Administration Representative, Emmanuel Aboagye.
Expected conduct
The Abuakwa South MP, who was the guest speaker, expressed concern that in every profession some fell short of expected conduct, saying that if the union was silent in the face of misconduct, it had lost moral authority.
The GNAT, he said, must help define the gold standard for teacher behaviour, not just in legal documents, but in culture and reputation.
“Let there be a GNAT Code of Honour. Let ethical excellence be as important as academic qualifications. Let the union be seen as the soul of the profession, not just its shield,” Dr Agyeman emphasised.
He said teachers in Ghana were no longer confined to their district or national service post but should be part of a continental network, exchanging ideas with their peers in countries such as Rwanda, South Africa, Egypt and Kenya, among others, discussing curriculum models, sharing lesson plans, debating on pedagogy and learning from one another.
The re-elected Regional Chairman, Patrick Boison, shared his thoughts on a number of issues bothering teachers in the region and the country as a whole, saying the 21st century demanded a new kind of African citizen who would be innovative, adaptable and globally competitive.
“Our education system must prioritise critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity, rather than mere rote learning,” he added.
The General Secretary GNAT, Thomas Tanko Musah, who was represented by the Head of IT at the GNAT Headquarters, Emmanuel Kwaboni, briefed the delegates on the issues on the labour front, minimum wage, promotion and placement, upgrading and junior ranks promotions, as well as replacement of service providers for GESOPS, among others, and assured them that the union was in serious discussions with their employer concerning their well-being.
The National President of GNAT, Rev. Isaac Owusu, said it was becoming very expensive to treat members of the association who suffered from various forms of cancer and, therefore, pleaded with them to increase the monthly contribution of GH¢5 per teacher to GH¢10 in their interest.
