STRIKE ALERT: Teacher Unions threaten strike on November 4 over shocking reasons
STRIKE ALERT: Teacher Unions threaten strike on November 4 over shocking reasons
Eric Nkansah’s tenure as Director-General (DG) of the Ghana Education Service (GES) deepens as four teacher unions threaten to strike on November 4, 2022.
At a press conference on Wednesday, King Ali Awudu, President of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers in Ghana, warned the media that stakeholders in education, including GNAT, NAGRAT, CCT, and TEWU, are still unhappy with Dr Eric Nkansah’s appointment and are unwilling to cooperate with him.
According to the teaching unions, if the President does not reverse the appointment, there will be a strike on November 4, 2022.
“The saga over the firing of the DG of GES, Prof Opoku Amankwa, and other issues impacting the education service that we were working with Prof Opoku Amankwa to settle has come to an end.” We would like to express our sadness at the recent firing and subsequent appointment of the new DG of the GES.
“It is unfortunate in the sense that the case is being made to make it look that no one in the education field possesses the set of abilities required and is capable of being selected as DG of GES.”
According to reports, the Minister of Education advised the presidency that the skill set of the recently fired DG of GES is no longer necessary. It defies comprehension how the abilities of an educator are not required in educational administration but those of a banker are.” Mr. Awudu lamented.
CCT-Ghana termed the GES events as “extremely terrible.”
“Let us make it clear, contrary to what the minister is stating, Dr Eric Nkansah has previously taught in a primary school and geography in a particular SHS, the names of which we do not know,” Mr Awudu stated.
“However, it is unfortunate that the Minister of Education, who has done education, does not understand that the mere fact that someone has taught in a classroom before does not mean that particular person has done education, that teaching in a primary school and the SHS does not make the person a professional and does not mean the person has done education, so the Minister should come again and stop throwing dust in the eyes of the people.”
According to the teaching unions, directors at both the District and Regional levels are dissatisfied with Dr. Nkansah, and the unions are pushing for his immediate resignation.
“If sanity and peace are to prevail at the industrial level in the GES, we do not want to have industrial disputes simply because Dr Nkansah is around since he does not deserve that attention in the first place.”
“We’re asking the minister to notify the presidency that an error has been made and that it has to be fixed.” “We are stating that if Dr Eric Nkansah remains in office as the DG of GES by the end of next week Friday, there will be industrial unrest inside the GES,” he warned.
Meanwhile, teacher unions are disappointed with the lack of movement on outstanding concerns following Professor Akwasi Opoku Amankwa’s dismissal.
“Some of the problems we discussed with Prof Opoku Amankwa were the delay in laptop distribution, teacher upgrading, teachers in disadvantaged communities, advancement from lower ranks, and the accrual of CPD points.”
“On one Monday, we met with the DG of GEs to discuss all difficulties and began brainstorming solutions.” For example, in the case of teachers in low-income neighborhoods, their final report was due to us on Friday.
“On the Monday that we met with the DG, the union’s committee was supposed to present their final report on the deprived communities so we could forward it to the presidency and then to cabinet for implementation so that teachers in the deprived communities can get 20% of their base pay to make them happy to work in rural areas.”
“Everything has come to a standstill,” CCT-Ghana President disclosed.
“We have all examined Dr Eric Nkansah’s CV, and nothing in it indicates that he has read education, diploma in education, postgraduate diploma in education, bachelor of education, master of education, or Ph.D. in education.”
“You cannot fire someone who has a PHD in education and then bring in someone who knows next to nothing about education and want them to manage educational matters.” “We will not agree on that,” the teacher unions agreed.
