The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called on the government to provide regular in-service training to teachers to update their knowledge and skills for quality education delivery.

GNAT said it is the duty of the employer to provide resources and on-the-job training to the employee for the work to progress to the desired level.

Mrs Gifty Apambil, the Deputy General Secretary of GNAT in charge of Education and Professional Development, made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the opening of GNAT/CTF (Canadian Teachers Federation) Overseas 2018 In-Service Training Programme at Berekum in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

The one-week residential training sponsored by GNAT is an annual event but rotational on a regional basis.

It was attended by 325 male and female teachers from the Brong-Ahafo Region.

It was to sharpen the content and pedagogical skills of participants to provide effective teaching strategies for quality education in the country and to address “seemingly difficult topics in the selected subjects”.

The subjects are Basic Administration, Primary Mathematics and Science, Special Female Mathematics and Science, Junior High School (JHS) Mathematics, English, Science, Social Studies, French, Basic Design and Technology, Senior High School (SHS) English, Mathematics, Integrated Science and Gender Equity issues.

The programme was also to create a community of learners in these subject areas where they could share experiences after the course.

Mrs Apambil said the strength of every Union depended on the quality of its membership, stressing that GNAT as a professional body considers it essential to organise continuous professional development programmes for the members.

As a major stakeholder in education service delivery, GNAT needed to ensure that quality education was given to every Ghanaian child, irrespective of location or social background, she stated.

Mrs Apambil said at the centre is the teacher acting as the driver and such programmes designed by GNAT to complement government efforts were necessary.

She said knowledge was dynamic and coupled with the impact of technology on educational development and delivery currently in the country, the government as the employer of the public sector teachers must ensure the provision of capacity building training periodically for them.  

Earlier, Mr Michael Nsiah-Agyapong, the Headmaster of Sunyani Senior High School and also the Regional Chairman of GNAT and Dr Peter Attafuah, the Regional Director of Education respectively addressed the teachers on various issues related to quality education in the country.