GES To Headmasters: Keep Schools Open Despite Strike By Teachers

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has instructed heads of kindergartens, and primary schools, as well as secondary schools, to have their facilities open despite the ongoing strike by teacher unions across the country.

Leadership of three teacher unions – the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana (CCT)–declared an industrial action on Friday, November 4, 2022, to protest the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah as the new Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

Checks in some schools across the country indicated the teachers were adhering to the directive by the leadership of the various teacher unions.

The Ghana Education Service has, regardless, directed all heads of schools “to mobilize management teams to ensure the safety and well-being of all students in schools.”

The GES in a statement signed by its head of Public Relations, Cassandra Twum Ampofo advised parents “to remain calm and assured that management is closely monitoring the situation and will advise on the way forward accordingly.”

“Regional and District Directors have further been directed to ensure that Heads keep schools opened and closely supervise all children who report to school pending further directives from Management of GES,” the statement further instructed.

The appointment of Dr. Nkansah was met with stern opposition, with many of the teacher unions calling for a revocation of the appointment over his qualification.

The Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Adutwum however defended the appointment at a conference of Directors of Education in Accra on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, insisting Dr. Nkansah was qualified and the allegations by the teacher unions were unfounded.

Read the full statement below: