Schools Shutdown as 40, 000 Teachers Strike Intensify

The PUBLISHER can confirm that over 50 basic and junior high schools dotted across the country have been closed down indefinitely, following an industrial action by some teachers in the country.

All teaching and learning processes have since November 1, 2018, come to a halt in schools where members of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT)-Ghana, operate.

According to the leadership of CCT-Ghana, this will remain the case if government fails to return to the negotiation table with the demands they want.

The primary issue in contention according to CCT-Ghana, is the payment of salary arrears owed them.

The Coalition stated that the salary arrears of about 40,000 teachers spanning from 2013 to 2016 had not been paid by the government.

Closed Schools

So far, the three northern regions have been most affected with over 40 CCT-Ghana dominated schools closed.

The Brong Ahafo Region is second most affected with over 10 schools closed. The Ashanti, Central and Western Region have also been gravely affected while the Eastern and Greater Accra have just one school shut down.

Stopping at nothing

Speaking to the PUBLISHER, Deputy Communication Director of the coalition, Norbert E.K. Gborgbortsi said, they will stop at nothing until their demands are met.

“We are also making sure that those who are not members of our association, also embark on the strike action which we are talking about because the things that emanated from the strike, affects the rest of the people.

“It will interest you to know that, those who are even in school, the GNAT and NAGRAT, most of them are not teaching. they are just in school. Though they are not at home, they being in school, is as good not going at all because they are not working,” he said.

Mr Gborgbortsi continued: “We are willing to go until our demands are met. We are ready to go on strike for a year.”

Insurance Wahala

They also accused the Ghana Education Service (GES) of conniving with the Controller and Accountant General Department to deduct GH₵10 from their salaries to pay for an insurance they did not bargain for.

They argued that since educational workers number over 300,000 taking GH¢10 from each person’s salary means over GH¢ 3,000,000 per month.

According to CCT-Ghana, the deduction had not been refunded despite promises by the Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) that it would be refunded.

Though the deduction was halted in July and August, 2018, some teachers still saw the deduction of their September 2018 payslips, a situation the teachers find worrying.

CCT-Ghana is still not “sure who is keeping custody of those millions of Ghana cedis.”

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]