NDC will pay teachers, nurses more - Prof. Opoku-Agyemang

The running mate to the National Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has assured teachers of enhanced remuneration when the party returns to power after the December election.

She also assured teachers and nursing trainees of innovative financial interventions, including increased training allowances and educational loan facilities to facilitate their successful training.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, gave the assurance during separate interactions with trainee teachers and representatives of teacher unions at the Gbewaa College of Education and trainee nurses at the Bolgatanga Nursing Training College and other professional bodies at Bolgatanga on Saturday, on her last day of her tour of the Upper East region.

2020 Manifesto

She indicated that the yet-to-be launched NDC manifesto has a comprehensive action plan to proactively address the needs of trainee teachers and nurses.

“Our manifesto is of a different nature this time,” she said, adding that there are innovative policies that would enable the NDC government to build on its enviable achievements and do more for the teaching and nursing professions.

In addition, she said the new policy programmes in the manifesto, designed to enable Ghanaians to achieve their aspirations, had incorporated the views of the various teaching and nursing professional groups, as a measure to ensure an all-inclusive governance.

“We need to work together by listening to each other. We need to be non-discriminatory, we need to plan together.

“Today, when your leaders ask me what we will do when we come to power, I also ask them, what do you want us to do for you?
“We want to arrive together, so we must do things together,” Prof Opoku-Agyemang stated.

Upgrading

Responding to questions from the participants on various concerns including professional upgrading, recruitment and maternity leave, Prof Opoku-Agyemang explained that as part of the policy measures to be pursued by the next NDC government, the teacher upgrading structure would be streamlined and enhanced to ensure fairness, adding that distance education students who had been exempted from government teacher recruitment, would be offered equal recruitment opportunities.

Maternity leave

Regarding maternity leave, the former Education Minister, said maternity leave for teachers, nurses and other professionals would be extended from the present three months to four months.

“Giving four months of maternity leave to women is in order,” the running mate stressed.