You Can’t Run Away From National Service – NSS Tells Teacher Trainees

Prior to an announcement that the National Service Scheme (NSS) has now been expanded to include trained teachers, newly trained teachers have been up in arms with authorities—with a vow not to undertake the one-year mandatory service.

But the NSS say, newly trained teachers cannot run away from the law that compels all graduate of accredited tertiary institutions to undergo national service.

In the past, teacher trainees underwent mandatory one-year of the job practice which was equivalent to the NSS but that has changed.

According to the Director of Communication at the NSS, Nana Prah, the one-year national service for teachers is now compulsory by law since teacher trainee colleges have assumed tertiary status and now award diploma certificates.

“If you take the national service act 426, it stipulates that every Ghana who has completed an accredited tertiary institution and is at the age of 40 and below, is mandated to undertake one year national service and so, since Colleges of Education are now called tertiary institutions, the graduates have to undergo one year mandatory national service.

“We see it as expedient to take up our mandate to ensure that they abide by the laws,” he explained.
The newly trained teachers who are expected to be enrolled unto the NSS have also disapproved of monies they believed will be extorted from them during the registration process.

But Nana Prah clarified that the GHȻ40 to be taken from the teachers was part of the NSS process.

“The GHȻ40 for the generation of pin code has being explained…NASPA—National Service Personnel Association will take GHȻ10 for their welfare and activities, GHȻ10 for I.D card and the remaining GHȻ20 for administrative charges,” he said.

The teachers are also kicking against the GHȻ559 NSS stipend they are to receive when enrolled instead of a better remuneration of GHȻ1200 if employed by the GES.

But the NSS say there is nothing they can do about the allowance since it is a fixed amount for all service personnel.

On matters of employment, Nana Prah assured the newly trained teachers they will be employed only if they go through the outlined processes.

He noted: “If they finish the national service and they have performed well on the licensing examination, it means they have followed the mandatory steps, therefore the GES who is now an employer is now in the position to employ them.”

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey