Students Of OLA College Of Education Oppose Teachers Strike Action

Angry and distraught looking students of OLA College of Education in Cape Coast have demonstrated for hours on their campus to appeal to the Government to amicably solve the impasse between it and their teachers to enable them return to the classroom.

The students, spotting red head and wrist bands went round the school campus singing and shouting to register their protest over the issue to among others register their displeasure with the situation.

The School, an all female one, saw the demonstrators holding placards some of which read "we can't do it without our teachers, pay teachers their due to return to classrooms, teachers' absence will affect our studies"

The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) on Thursday, November 2, 2017 embarked on an indefinite strike demanding that the Government paid them salary arrears owed its members since October 2016.

According to CETAG the strike became the only option when Government failed to act despite a directive by the National Labour Commission (NLC), directing the Ministry of Finance to pay the arrears within two weeks.

Ms Marian Fynn, Vice President of the Students Representative Council (SRC), told newsmen that the demonstration was a peaceful one.

The absence of the teachers, according to her was having serious debilitating effects on their studies, adding that the strike would have been avoided if Government had paid heed to the teachers' request.

She therefore, appealed to the Government to take immediate steps to settle the grievances for their teachers to continue academic work.

Ms. Fynn said the demonstration will continue until the Government adhere to the plea of CETAG.

Other students who spoke with the Ghana News Agency appealed to President Akufo-Addo to intervene to help address the issue.

The GNA observed that there were no teachers at the School as at press time.

GNA
By Isaac Arkoh, GNA