School pupils demonstrate against teachers strike in Takoradi

Takoradi, Oct. 1, GNA - Several school children who reported to school in Takoradi only to realised that their teachers were on strike on Friday demonstrated through some principal streets of the town. The students sang "Why is it so? why is it so?" and carried their drawing boards with inscriptions such as "We do not want to miss classes," "what is happening to the capitation grant?", and others. They later converged at the premises of Spice FM, a private radio station in Takoradi.

A spokesperson of the students, one Isaac Blay, said the teachers' strike would seriously affect them since school re-opened only a few days ago.

He said they decided to demonstrate when they realised that their classrooms had not been opened due to a strike action embarked upon by teachers within Takoradi.

A visit to many schools in the metropolis revealed that while teachers had decided to stay away from the classrooms, the children and some parents were not aware and had come to the school. Alhajia Memuma Sadiq, a parent, told the Ghana News Agency that she was highly disappointed that the newly introduced Capitation Grant, which had signalled hope to several children to enrol in school, would be suspended.

Teachers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis on Thursday withdrew their services indefinitely over undue delay and refusal of the government to pay them their negotiated salaries.