Some BECE candidates in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region have appealed to the government and the various teacher unions to settle their impasse for a smooth academic calendar.
With this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) scheduled to be held from Monday 17th October 2022 to Friday 21st October 2022, the students and teachers in separate interviews said the ongoing strike by the four unions was already affecting academic work and called for early resolution of the concerns.
The four teacher unions, effective Monday, July 4, declared an indefinite nationwide strike over demands for the payment of the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).
The unions, comprising the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT), are demanding that the 20% of their basic salary be paid to them.
But after a June 30 deadline was exhausted, the workers have withdrawn their services, both in and outside the classroom.
A visit to the campuses of some basic schools in the area on Wednesday revealed that despite a directive by the Ghana Education Service (GES) for schools to remain open during the strike, this was largely not the case.
All schools visited by GhanaWeb on Wednesday, revealed that even though most of the students reported for school, authorities closed the schools before 10 am.
At the Odumase Anglican Basic School, the headmistress of the school who declined speaking on record said, “many teachers and students” turned up but returned home shortly.
With no academic activities ongoing, GhanaWeb met just about four teachers on campus as the last batch of students left for their various homes.
Some students who spoke in an interview appealed to the government to ensure that the teachers return to the classroom to ensure that their academic calendar was not unduly interrupted.
At the Odumase Akro M/A School, only three out of eighteen teachers turned up for school at the primary department and five at the JHS department.
Despite the strike, available teachers were seen teaching their final year students who had reported.
The headmaster of the school, Mr. Eric Demah said, “The few teachers who are around have decided to help the final year students.”
At some of the schools, the JHS students were still on campus at 11 am but practically playing around. At the Roman Catholic JHS at Agomanya, most of the students left for home before 10 am with those left behind seen playing football on the school field with others either roaming about or idling in the classroom.
Head teacher of the school, Mr. Tetteh Matthew Atter told GhanaWeb that none of his teachers reported for school and the pupils had nothing doing, forcing him to close the students earlier than usual.
He said, “the students came thinking their teachers would be around but after staying for about thirty minutes then they saw that the teachers were not coming, they left.”
Mr. Atter however added that the situation was different on Tuesday with many students and ten teachers reporting and staying in the school until 1pm.
He agreed with the students that quality time was being lost which would affect their studies. Mr. Atter expressed: “I share in their (students) view that we’re missing instruction hours, we have to teach the children, even the class six children we are preparing to move to the next level, that’s the JHS so it is also going to affect almost all the levels.”
Pleading to the government to address the issues being raised by the teachers, the school head urged authorities to “sit with leadership so that they iron out these differences for us to resume work immediately.”
He also urged the students not to abandon their notes during the strike period but continue to revise them to put them in a good position to sit their end-of-term exams.
School prefect and a final year student of the Agormanya R/C Primary School who gave his name as Bless was seen playing football with his mates. He said they had no option but to play since their teachers were absent. “We the final year students, we came to the school but no one is teaching us. Our teachers are on strike but they told us to come to school today so we came to the school but none of the teachers came to the school,” he said adding that the situation could adversely affect their preparations ahead of the commencement of their BECE.
His female counterpart and girls’ prefect, Frimpong Christabel said though she’s in school to learn, the absence of the teachers was affecting them negatively.
She said, “For me, I’m a final year student so I have to come and learn but for the form twos and form ones, they’re here to play and it is affecting us negatively. Asked how they were managing their time in the absence of the teachers, she explained that they were learning in groups. “If you don’t understand something you have to get someone who’s better than you and learn,” said the girls’ prefect.
She fears their performance in the upcoming BECE would be “low” and appealed to the government to as a matter of urgency, address the demands of their teachers to bring them back to the classroom.
A parent, Rita Naa Lamle Odartey expressed her displeasure at the situation, which according to her if not promptly addressed could adversely affect the future of the students. “We’re saying that we’re going Ghana beyond aid and I believe that education is also Ghana beyond aid so if we have teachers that are not attended to then this is going to affect our kids and they’re not going to learn and I think it’s pathetic because the kids are our future leaders,” she said.
To ensure that her children do not miss out on their education during the strike, she said she ensures that they learn by themselves while at home.
