Audio: “Excessive politicization affecting education sector” – GNAT president laments

The President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Rev. Isaac Owusu, has expressed deep concern over what he describes as the excessive politicization of every aspect of national life, which he believes is undermining effective governance and development, particularly in the education sector.

Rev. Owusu said the challenges confronting the country today stem largely from the politicization of state institutions and decision-making processes.

“I think the basic question we should ask ourselves is, why are we where we are today? And the answer obviously is very simple: excessive politicization of everything in this country, and this is the result we are seeing,” he stated.

According to him, good governance requires that leadership acknowledges both the assets and liabilities it inherits, instead of making decisions based solely on political considerations.

“Governance, what I know is that leadership, you inherit assets and liabilities. Currently, as I’m talking to you, we have thousands of vacancies in almost every district in this country that need teachers,” Rev. Owusu lamented.

He revealed that earlier this year, when the Chief of Staff issued a directive for certain CEOs and officials to exit their positions, the Ghana Education Service (GES) followed with a similar directive. However, GNAT quickly drew the attention of the Director-General of GES to the urgent need for teachers across various districts.

“The union drew the Director-General’s attention that, in fact, our district directors are yearning for teachers. The Directorate needs teachers,” he emphasized.

Rev. Owusu called for a more pragmatic, non-partisan approach to addressing educational challenges, adding that Ghana’s progress depends on prioritizing competence and service over political loyalty.

Source: Elvisanokyenews.net