GNAT organises seminar on retirement for teachers in Eastern Region

The Eastern Regional branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has advised members to plan and prepare well for retirement while in active service.

The Eastern Regional Secretary of the association, Mr Daniel Afadu, gave the advice at a seminar on retirement for teachers in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality and the Upper Manya Krobo District at Odumase-Krobo.

 “We are doing this for teachers to prepare them well for retirement to avoid the usual shocks and stresses that our members go through when they are about to go on retirement following the bad examples of their predecessors,” he explained.

Observations

Mr Afadu observed that most teachers did not plan well towards retirement during their active service leading to frustrations, stress and deplorable conditions after retirement.

He said it was for this reason that GNAT organised the seminar to sensitise teachers to how they could use one of the initiatives of GNAT, the Teachers Fund, to plan for their retirement.

The secretary indicated that it was necessary for teachers to understand the Tier one and two pension schemes under the National Pension Act 2008 (Act 766) to enable them to calculate their pension benefits accurately to know the true value of their funds.

“With this kind of education, you would be armed with the necessary information to enable you to plan well for your retirement,” Mr Afadu added.

Advice

The Head of Operations of the Teachers Fund, Mr Chris Asare-Djan, said the fund was a retirement supplement for members and therefore, advised them to pay more premium during their working years to enable them to enjoy its benefits while on retirement.

“We are preparing you now mentally, physically and financially so as to enjoy the fruit of your labour on your retirement,” he stated.

The Head of Human Resource and Administration of the Teachers Fund, Ms Rosemary Essah-Aboagye, said work played a critical role in the life of an individual, hence people reacted differently to retirement if they were not ready for it.

She mentioned the impact of retirement to include depression, lower self-satisfaction, loss of professional identity, isolation and loneliness, which she,  said could be managed when one prepared adequately for it.

Appreciation

The Manya Krobo GNAT Chairman, Mr Evans Tetteh Tamatey, expressed appreciation for the outcome of the programme which he described as appropriate and timely for members.

“If these sort of programmes had been done some years ago, most of our colleagues would have realised the need to organise themselves well before retirement,” he said.