Minster Beg Striking Teachers

Prof Naana Opoku Agyeman

Minister for Education, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, has appealed to striking teachers to go back to the classroom while negotiations are ongoing to resolve grievances relating to their conditions of service.

She pleaded with the teachers to abide by the directive of the National Labour Commission (NLC) asking them to call off the strike immediately and resume work, adding that government was doing everything possible to make sure that their issues were dealt with appropriately.

The NLC in a directive issued said, 'Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and Ghana Education Service on the one part and the unions on the other part should negotiate all the issues identified above within one week and report the outcome to the National Labour Commission not later than Wednesday 27th March, 2013.'

Addressing the media in Accra yesterday, Prof. Agyemang said, 'Teachers' decision not to go back to the classroom is very worrying. All we can do now is to beg them to return to school. Their grievances will be resolved.'

She said the ministry was addressing the issue of non-payment of car maintenance allowances to qualified teachers in 2012, adding that the affected teachers, numbering over 5,000 across the country have been identified and a list would be submitted to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning for approval.

Touching on the issue of meagre allowances paid to invigilators, Prof. Agyemang said it has not come to her notice but demystified the assertion that national service personnel were not capable of invigilating an examination, adding that the ministry was in talks with the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to review the allowances paid to invigilators.

She said plans were far advanced to ensure that the WASSCE went on successfully without any hitches.

Prof. Agyemang said GES was planning to organize a forum periodically where various teacher unions would meet and interact in order to address pertinent issues confronting them.

Since Monday, teachers nationwide have refused to go to the classroom, leaving Senior High School (SHS) students sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) stranded.

Meanwhile, several negotiations to get them back to the classroom have proved futile.

President John Mahama in a passionate appeal has also called on the striking teachers to rescind their decision by going back to the classroom.

He pleaded with the teachers to put the interest of the nation first and consider the effect the timing of their strike would have on their students.

But the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has responded to President John Dramani Mahama's appeal by maintaining that its members will not go back to the classroom until their issues were resolved.

The group said, 'It would be better for government to take steps to formalize issues they have raised than to beg them via word of mouth'.

The group insisted they have been flexible enough over the years and claimed government usually deployed the tactics of 'begging' teachers on strike to cease their industrial action but cared less about their welfare.

According to the group, they would only return to the classroom if they saw measurable commitment to address their concerns from government.

 By Jamila A. Okertchiri & Cephas Larbi