Nkwanta (O/R)-Ghana, Nov. 10, GNA – Some students at the Nkwanta South Municipality have passionately appealed to striking teachers to return to the classroom to undertake their mandates.
They expressed confusion whether the reason for the action was salary related or other demands with majority swaying the condition of service pendulum.
Speaking to some of the students, they said they were in school early Monday morning and were asked to go home due to a strike by their teachers, and not knowing when their teachers would return to the classroom made them worried.
The students said the action by their teachers was affecting them negatively because very soon they would be writing their end of term exams.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers union declared an indefinite strike over the appointment of Dr Eric Nkansah, new Director General of Ghana Education Service (GES).
The strike, which begun November 03, saw most of the Schools in the Nkwanta South Municipality almost empty.
A visit by the Ghana News Agency to some of the schools in the Nkwanta Municipality this morning such as Nkwanta M/A JHS ‘A’ , EP Basic school, Nkwansec basic school, Redeem Basic School etc saw that most of the classrooms were closed.
Some form two students from the Redeem basic school were, however, in the class learning on their own without any teacher on the compound.
Mr Joko Maxwell, Nkwanta South Municipal GNAT chairman said apart from issues related to the new Director-General’s appointment, there were also serious issues affecting teachers, including promotions etc.
He said teachers in primary schools who had monies deducted for laptops meant for them had still not received theirs.
A parent, Mr S.K Emmanuel, who felt disappointed and could not understand why the teachers would declare a strike, said parents had been treated unfairly.
Meanwhile, the school selection for the just ended Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates at the various schools is ongoing with an appeal for heads of schools to stay back for the process to complete.
Mr Benjamin Hozi Headmaster of Redeem Basic school, who made the appeal said he is always in the school to make sure that all the candidates from his school select their various preferred school therefore, encouraging parents to allow their wards to come to the school for the school placement selection.
