The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, called for a change in Ghana’s education system, from consumers of other people’s creation, to one that stimulates creativity and innovation.
He said the country’s current education system has turned Ghana into a vast and expanding market of consumers of other people’s creation and not his own.
Comparing Ghana to Asia, King Asante said that while the former produced literate illiterates, the latter used its education to produce scientists and mathematicians among others to control the economy of the world.
GNAT Conference
The Asantehene was addressing the 6th (53rd) Quadrennial Conference of National Delegates of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in Kumasi on Monday, January 3.
The conference also marks the union’s 90th anniversary celebration. It was on the theme: “Surviving as a reliable teachers’ union in the 21st century.
Some GNAT members at the conference
Addressing the conference, the Asantehene questioned why, as a nation, Ghana was still struggling to find solutions to its environmental challenges as other societies zoomed into space.
He said in a new digital era, it was time for Ghana to favorably compete for economic superiority with the rest of the world.
Teachers
While agreeing that education holds the key to the development and prosperity of individuals and nations, Otumfuo said teachers hold the key to realizing this vision.
For him, the main source of human progress was teachers “who deserve to be held in high esteem”.
“There can be no science, technology, innovation, and even politicians without the teacher”, calling for their recognition and respect.
He said that through their tutelage, teachers shaped individuals to transform their communities and nations.
Different approach to demand
For his part, the president of the Presbyterian University, the Reverend Emmanuel Adow Obeng, said the era of confrontational approaches to making demands of government has lost its appeal and can no longer be used as a negotiating tool.
He said whenever there was a stalemate between teachers unions and the state it hurt citizens, urging the union to change its knowledge-based approach to negotiation and dialogue.
Reverend Professor Obeng has expressed his dissatisfaction with some members who dabble in politics which ends up influencing their demands.
According to him, whenever there seems to be a stalemate, it is seen as sabotaging government business and favoring the opposition.
Meanwhile, presenting a whole document seen as a blueprint for union reform, the professor called for the creation of a GNAT institute to focus on research to improve education and raise their voices.
He said such an institute would also help educate members on the new digitized world and make their opinions the most sought after in any political decision-making.
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