Ghana Districts: A repository of all Local Assemblies in Ghana

EDUCATION

N JUABEN S: Schools closed due to strike

A visit to about eleven (11) schools within the New Juaben South Municipality in the Eastern region capital indicates that all classrooms have been closed-up due to the strike actions embarked by the top three teacher unions.

Date Created : 12/13/2019 8:26:36 AM : Story Author : Collins Aikins Akuffo/Ghanadistricts.com

The strike actions which has entered its third day has led to a halt of the normal school activities in the country.

On Thursday, 5th December 2019, over 300,000 first and second cycle school teachers across the country said they have laid down their tools over the failure of the government to pay the legacy arrears due to members. The Unions made up of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition Concerned Teachers (CCT) announced their decision to embark on industrial action at a press conference in Accra.

Although the management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) said it has learned with shock the declaration of the strike by the three teacher unions over these delayed payments of salary arrears owed by some staff.

This made a team from the Information Services Department (ISD) of the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly (NJSMA) to visit some schools in the Municipality to find out up-to-the-minute information in these schools.

At the Ascension Presbyterian JHS A at Ogua, a lot of students were loitering at the school compound whiles some were in the classrooms writing exams.

Speculating why we interviewed the Assistant Headmistress, Madam Hannah and her staff who declared that school was in session and students were writing examinations regardless of the strike.

She also assured the team that all teachers were available and will continue to be until the end of the examination due to the care they have for the children.

‘’We are just here because of the exams and if we halt school and go for the strike as the others are doing, it will disturb the children’’ she said.

Asking about her views on the strike, Madam Hannah stated that, it is not a good idea for the three Teachers Unions to go on such a quick strike especially during an examination period for the Basic and Junior High Schools. As at the time of visiting, our team of reporters sighted eye on fifteen Teachers enrolment in the school.

Moving to the RIIs Presbyterian Model JHS, the Headmistress, Rev. Afrakomah Koomson declared that, none of the teachers in the school came regardless of the writing of the examination.

‘’No official teachers came due to the strike. It’s only the mentees and the National Service Personnel who came to school to look after the children. Although not all the students came’’.

According to her, some teachers are also furious and joined in the strike because of some halted allowances from the government.

In general, most of the schools JHS students came but the primary students didn’t show up in their schools.

The team later moved to the Riis Model School and Anglican Basic School to also examine the situation there.

As well, most of the students and teachers refused to show up. The few students that came were also ambling around the schools’ compound.