'Double Track' Teachers Mad At Gov't Over Non- Payment Of Salaries For 5 Months

20.03.2019 LISTEN

Over 8,000 teachers recruited by the Akufo-Addo government to teach under the 'Double Track' module in some of the country's Senior High Schools (SHS) under the Free Senior High policy are lamenting over the non-payment of their salaries for months.

The group that calls itself 'Association of Newly Recruited Teachers' has not received salaries for 5 months.

Speaking to Kwame Minkah, host of Ete Sen on Radio XYZ 93.1 Wednesday morning, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the disgruntled teachers, David Asaana explained that after they were given appointment letters in the latter part of last year, "nothing has been done" to get them their much anticipated salaries, thereby making them go through untold hardship in areas they have described as far from home.

Asaana also revealed they had met the Education Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, twice but the assurances given them is yet to materialise.

Asked if they were properly recruited, he said "we were employed through the normal process and filled IPPD forms...[but] we have not been given staff IDs. We've not done our biometric registration as well."

He said they have been transferred to places far from home hence they are not able to do anything meaningful to make ends meet, saying "time for teaching has been extended to 3:30 and sometimes 4:30 PM under the Green track...we can't do anything apart from teaching."

In a statement, the Association released earlier, the teachers said: "The worrying trend is that some of us were posted to alien regions and for that matter, are struggling with accommodation, feeding, transportation. These are life-threatening to say the least."

"What is heartbreaking is the silence on the part of stakeholders (the ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service)," the statement said.

Below is the statement;

ASSOCIATION OF NEWLY RECRUITED TEACHERS (ANRT)

For Immediate Release.

To All Media Houses.

19th March, 2019

GOVERNMENT STARVES NEWLY RECRUITED TEACHERS.

Following government's introduction of the Free Senior High School program and the all inclusive nature of the program, many students had to be enrolled. This necessitated the introduction of the double track system.

In a bid to meeting the growing demands, government recruited over 8000 teachers to complement the already existing staff which was woefully inadequate.

Five months down the line, after we were given appointment letters, nothing has been put in place to make sure that we teachers will have some financial freedom to go about our work with peace of mind. After completing the IPPD forms some three months ago , we are yet to obtain our staff ID and process our biometric registration which has taken a substantial period.

The worrying trend is that some of us were posted to alien regions and for that matter, are struggling with accommodation, feeding, transportation. These are life threatening to say the least. .

What is heartbreaking is the silence on the part of stakeholders (the ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service).

We are therefore appealing to all stakeholders of Education especially the Ministry of Education and His Excellency , the president of the republic, Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo to intervene. If government does not intervene in a timely manner, we will be compelled to take the necessary actions.

Thank you.

SIGNED......

1.Nana Adjei Agyeman Collins 0542113272

(President )

2. Thomas Anyoka

(vice president)

0543668967

3. David Asaana

(PRO)

0248274107

4.Emmanuel Kwame Nti

(Ass. PRO)