NCPTAs Urge Gov’t To Close Down Schools

National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTAs), have asked the government to close down schools due to the strike by teacher unions.

In their view, the closure of the schools will, among other things, curb growing incidents of insecurity and safety in the schools.

They said the current situation has created breading grounds for some students and pupils to hurt themselves at school since there are no teachers at post to mentor, guide and protect them on their behalf.

“As Parents/ guardians we urge the government to officially close down the schools to allow the students (non-candidates) to go home to their families to feed and support them, but leave the final year students (JHS and SHS 3 students) to temporarily stay, until an amicable understanding is reached and agreed by all stakeholders.

“We humbly plead with the leadership of the Teacher Unions to provide skeletal teaching and nonteaching staffs to support and prepare our final year students adequately for the BECE and WASSCE-2022

 

“These measures if adopted by these parties will improve the food and other logistical situation in the schools and provide more food for the form three students and avoid the ongoing food rationing and hunger in the schools which is forcing parents to pay some extra unexpected monies to support the feeding of their wards.

“The closure of the schools will also curb growing incidents of insecurity and safety in our schools as the current situation has created breading grounds for some students/ pupils to hurt themselves at school since there are no teachers at post to mentor, guide and protect them on our behalf,” a statement they issued on Wednesday July 13, said.

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers, (NAGRAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Teachers’ and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) declared strike following the failure of the government to meet their demands to approve the 20 per cent COLA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read the full statement below

 

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS (NCPTAs)
(GOVERNMENT ASSISTED SCHOOLS P.T.A.)
P.O. Box AT 93, Achimota Market, Accra Mob: +233 244 092107/+233 559250526/+233 244644525/ 0244577545
Email: info@ncptasghana.org Website: www.ncptasghana.org
12th July, 2022
PRESS RELEASE
THE IMPACT OF THE ON-GOING STRIKE ACTION BY THE TEACHER UNIONS AND RELATED MATTER-LEADERSHIP OF THE NCPTAs URGES ALL STAKEHOLDERS OF EDUCATION AT THE PRE-TERTIARY LEVEL OF EDUCATION TO TREAT THE ISSUES OF THE TEACHERS STRIKE ACTION AND OUR STUDENT’S ACADEMIC WELFARE IN THE SCHOOLS AS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.

 

 

The National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTAs), the mother umbrella body and Chief Custodian of all School based Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) at the Pre-tertiary levels of
Education in Ghana, has been following the ongoing negotiations, debate and meetings between organised labour especially the four (4) Teacher Unions namely GNAT, NAGRAT, CCT and TEWU due to the strike embarked upon by the teacher unions from the 4th July, 2022, following Government’s failure to meet their demand for Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

From the happenings on the labour front especially within the educational sector, it is obviously clear that this strike action is going to be a protracted one if Compassionate leadership is not shown by all stakeholders in the educational sector in finding a lasting solution to these issues and other related operational challenges in relation to emerging food crisis at hand especially in Basic and Secondary Schools which are on school feeding Programmes either through the Ghana School Feeding Programme(GSFP) where one (1) hot meals are provided by government to some school pupils in some selected school in selected Districts across the country and at all Public Senior High/ Technical and Vocational schools across the country under the Free SHS Programme.

 

In fact, parents across the country have remotely observed with great concern the continuous effects of the ongoing strike due to the inconclusive end of the Government-Teacher Unions’ meetings on the 12th July, 2022 with regards to their 20% COLA leading to a stalemate from both sides.

Whiles we Parents/ guardians wait for the outcomes of these negotiations going forward, we will like to draw the attention of all the stake holders of education especially the Government (Ministry of Education and the Ghana education Service), the Teacher Unions (GNAT, NAGRAT, CCT, and TEWU), educational administrators such as Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), Conference of Heads of Public Basic Schools (COHBS), Conference of Directors of Education(CODEO), Civic society organisations in education, the media among others, that as Parent- Teacher Associations (PTAs) who are partners in this educational enterprise and whose wards/ children are at the receiving end of effects of the strike action to join hands with us to plead with both parties to soberly reflect on the hazardous effects of the on-going nationwide strike which is biting on all fronts and has already triggered the following effects on our children/wards in terms of their safety, security, healthcare, academic work, among others.

 

The nationwide strike action by the teacher unions, has brought teaching, learning and other academic support systems towards adequately preparing them for their BECE and WASSCE examinations this year to a halt and it is rather breeding increasing levels of indiscipline among students. The safety, security and health care of our children cannot be guaranteed as Instructional and other related contact hours between students and their teachers have generally gone nosedive, hence creating an unhealthy school climate and an abuse of the fundamental human rights for our children as enshrined in Article 28 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana among others. This development, if not properly handled, will definitely affect, the future human resource development and the wealth of our nations human capital to become globally competitive, hence we the leadership of the NCPTAs recommend as follows:

1. As Parents/ guardians we urge the government to officially close down the schools to allow the students (non-candidates) to go home to their families to feed and support them, but leave the final year students (JHS and SHS 3 students) to temporarily stay, until an amicable understanding is reached and agreed by all stakeholders.

2. We humbly plead with the leadership of the Teacher Unions to provide skeletal teaching and non- teaching staffs to support and prepare our final year students adequately for the BECE and WASSCE-2022 Exams.

3. These measures if adopted by these parties will improve the food and other logistical situation in the schools and provide more food for the form three students and avoid the ongoing food rationing and hunger in the schools which is forcing parents to pay some extra unexpected monies to support the feeding of their wards.

4. The closure of the schools will also curb growing incidents of insecurity and safety in our schools as the current situation has created breading grounds for some students/ pupils to hurt themselves at school since there are no teachers at post to mentor, guide and protect them on our behalf.

 

5. The GES should adjust the academic calendar to take the full effects of the on-going strike action and the ameliorating effects of the Covid 19 Pandemic. The NCPTAs through the school-based PTAs will be willing to partner government in that direction by raising funds to provide extra motivation for teachers who will provide remedial support instructional hours for our wards.

 

6. We are appealing to the teacher unions that as Parents themselves and members of the PTAs, that, our children are dear to us and we PTAs being the final benefactors of their future educational
development, should ignore the provocative statements within some section of society and rather look at the overwhelming solidarity and support from Parents/Guardians in support of the strike action and taking decisions which will inure to our common interest, since without Parents, there cannot be Teachers and without Students and Schools, the bond of collaboration and reciprocal-
partnership between the Parents and Teachers as well as school administrators through the PTA structure will not exist.

7. Finally, Government on the other hand should take concrete actions to improve the conditions of service of our dear teachers beyond the 20% COLA. We know of the difficulty on the part of
Government, but there is always a middle way out of such situations and therefore, we urge Government to treat the resolution of the Unions’ demand and subsequent strike as well as the growing levels of food shortages as an emergency situation. Government must as a matter of fact, must leave no stone unturned to exploit the middle way out in order to deal expeditiously with the matter for industrial peace and harmony to return within the Pre- tertiary level of education. The NCPTAs believes Government has the capacity and capability to resolve it and must show leadership now. In view of the above-mentioned effects, particularly, the safety of the little ones and the food crisis, we are appealing to the protagonists not to drag issues for the sake of mother Ghana.

In conclusion, parents are appealing to the GES to consider officially closing down schools for these very young ones, should the strike be prolonged, if not we will be compelled to ask our children to stay home.

Christian Aikins Atsu
(Ag. National President)
0244092107

For further media engagements and contacts with the leadership of the NCPTAs please contact the
following numbers and officers of the NCPTAs.
1. Gapson Kofi Raphael- Acting General Secretary- 0244577545
2. Mrs. Irene Sam- PRO- 0244644525
3. Felicity Ahafianyo- PRO-0243267482
4. Kwame Tawiah Aggor- NEC Member- 0244125490
5. Charles Adjetey Sowah -Administrator- 055925052       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Master Of Ceremony (M.C) available for all your events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: MyGhanaMedia.com