Schools need to keep their environments clean on a regular basis using paid cleaners however, information at the disposal of the National Council of Private School Teachers (NCOPST) indicates that some private school owners use teachers are cleaners.
The call by the council for schools to stop using teachers as cleaners is long overdue, especially in private schools.
In a communique sent to Ghanaeducation.org, Mr. Ackon James, the NCOPST Director writes…
SCHOOLS MUST STOP USING TEACHERS AS CLEANERS: HUMAN RESOURCE NEEDED BY PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Human resource (HR) is the division of a business that is charged with finding, screening, recruiting, and training job applicants, as well as administering the employee-benefit programs.
As part of NCOPST strategies to develop private schools and provide better livelihood for private school teachers, we would like to discuss few pointers that are requirements for private school development.
Private schools are required to have the following human resource or Departments.
A. Cleaning Department (cleaners)
B. Counseling Department (school counselor(s))
C. Health department (School Nurse(s))
Using teachers as School Cleaners
Some schools do not hire or employ cleaners. Rather, they make teachers do the sweeping, mopping, dusting, etc every morning before teaching. NCOPST is pleading with those schools to try and employ cleaners.
Teachers must arrange the classrooms, making sure the chairs, tables, books, wall charts, and teaching aids for the first period are set.
We don’t have to let teachers sweep and in his or her sweat will go to the classroom to teach.
School Counselor
Most schools do not have school counselors, hence, children behave anyhow, and teachers would have to use a cane to correct them. This is serious and must be checked. Government schools now have counselors at the district Education offices and Private schools should follow suit.
Health department
Most schools do not have school nurse(s). Due to that, teachers leave for hospitals during instructional hours when Students fall sick. This affects the rest of the students since the whole class would have to wait for the teacher.
As a private school teacher and also school administrator, I am aware that the extra human resources listed above, call for extra salary, but it is a requirement for every school.
Advice from the council: STOP using teachers as cleaners
As the Executive Director of the National Council of Private School Teachers (NCOPST), I humbly request schools that use Teachers as cleaners to desist from that behaviour to raise the image of the Teaching Profession, especially in Private schools.
This is one of the reasons the students we teach do not want teaching as a career.
It is about time Ghana shows respect to teachers. If you did not add cleaning as one of the duties to be discharged by the teacher in the appointment letter, then do not allow the teachers to do cleaning work because it is illegal.
Schools that will not put a stop to it but continue to allow teachers to do the cleaning job, MUST pay extra money not less than Ghc150.
NCOPST Monitoring team will visit schools soon to check things like this.
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Finally, I would like to advise all private school teachers to do their work accordingly as professional teachers and desist from unlawful attitudes.
Teachers and schools in the private sector of Pre tertiary can reach the National Council of Private School Teachers (NCOPST) through 0540560643.
Source: Ghanaeducation.org
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