Online News portals are washed with news that the leadership of the striking teacher unions have decided not to take part in the Day two of the meeting with government officials.
This is because the Government has dragged the unions to the National Labour Commission (NLC) over their industrial action.
On Monday November 7 the leadership of the unions asked their members to continue staying at home because their meeting with the government ended without a decision taken.
Already. the meeting on Monday ended inconclusively
GNAT, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) declared a strike over the appointment of Dr Eric Nkansah as the new Director General of the Ghana Education (GES).
They declared the industrial action on Friday November 4.
So far NAGRAT, GNAT and CCT rejected the appointment.
The associations said the new appointee is a banker who has no background in teaching and are unhappy with his appointment.
Earlier in a press conference in Accra, President of NAGRAT, Mr Angel Carbonou said teachers were hoping that a person who has background in education would be appointed in order to bring his or her expertise to bear.
This appointment is an indication that there are no qualified teaching professionals to man education in Ghana, he said.
Mr Carbonou indicated that they are annoyed and surprised by the appointment of Dr Nkansah.
He is quoted as having said “What annoyed and surprised all of us was that a new Director General has been appointed to the Ghana Education Service.
Without mincing words, Ghana’s education has been gravely impacted by the onset of Covid-19.
The academic calendar was distorted with the months of lockdown that also impacted teaching.
It is for this reason that any strike that will further wreck havoc on the educational sector is most needless especially to pupils and students in the public schools.
Per this paper’s checks, nowhere is it written in our statute books that an appointments the government makes for the position of Director General of Ghana Education Service (GES) must be a professional teacher.
To be fair to ourselves and to all parties in this fracas, it would have been a great idea if the appointee would have been a teacher who has passed through the mill, who can bring his knowledge, skills and influence to bear on the activities of teachers and non-teachers in the GES.
But be that as it may this should not destabilize the teaching and learning in school.
Article 195 (1) states that “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the power to appoint persons to hold or to act in an office in the public services shall vest in the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the governing council of the service concerned given in consultation with the Public Services Commission.”
Clause (3) adds “The power to appoint persons to hold or act in an office in a body of higher education, research or professional training, shall vest in the council or other governing body of that institution or body.”
From the above where lies the breach to warrant a strike?