Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Paul Krampah has strongly indicated that authorities at the Ministry are on top of issues apropos the strike action embarked upon by members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).
He explained that contingency plans have been put in place to insulate students from being directly affected by the teachers’ action. Mr Krampah was speaking in a heated interview on TV3’s 7GMT on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.
Mr Krampah disclosed that heads of government schools have been directed by the Ministry to Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Paul Krampah has strongly indicated that authorities at the Ministry are on top of issues apropos the strike action embarked upon by members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).
He explained that contingency plans have been put in place to insulate students from being directly affected by the teachers’ action. Mr Krampah was speaking in a heated interview on TV3’s 7GMT on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.
Mr Krampah disclosed that heads of government schools have been directed by the Ministry to implement a contingency plan, which he failed to make public. “We are just waiting for a report from them,” he said.
War with teachers?
Asked why the Ministry’s contingency plan appears not be visible in schools visited by our correspondents, Mr Krampah indicated that when one is at war, it will go against that warrior if they disclose their plan, to their opponents.
“But the Ministry is on top of the issues,” he emphasised.
“We shall continue with monitoring,” he said of the situation, which has left some schools falling back on national service personnel and non-teaching staff including cooks to invigilate terminal exams.
He noted the Minister of Education, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, visited five schools in the Accra metropolis and all but one had teachers at post.
He said most of the teachers the Minister talked to “were not even aware of the concerns raised by their leaders.”
The nationwide strike by teachers is in its second day though the National Labour Commission has directed teachers to return to classrooms since negotiations are ongoing. implement a contingency plan, which he failed to make public.
“We are just waiting for a report from them,” he said.
War with teachers?
Asked why the Ministry’s contingency plan appears not be visible in schools visited by our correspondents, Mr Krampah indicated that when one is at war, it will go against that warrior if they disclose their plan, to their opponents.
“But the Ministry is on top of the issues,” he emphasised.
“We shall continue with monitoring,” he said of the situation, which has left some schools falling back on national service personnel and non-teaching staff including cooks to invigilate terminal exams.
He noted the Minister of Education, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, visited five schools in the Accra metropolis and all but one had teachers at post.
He said most of the teachers the Minister talked to “were not even aware of the concerns raised by their leaders.”
The nationwide strike by teachers is in its second day though the National Labour Commission has directed teachers to return to classrooms since negotiations are ongoing.
http://www.tv3network.com/Education/teachers-strike-education-ministry-on-top-of-issues-says-pro.html

Striking teachers have rejected a directive by the National Labour Commission, asking them to call off their industrial action.
The teachers say the Labour Commission's ruling is unfair and will not compel them to reverse their decision.
Teachers across the country have boycotted the classrooms to demand improved service conditions and allowances. They also want their 15 percent retention allowance revised upwards after three years of the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
The National Labour Commission had directed the striking
teachers to return to the classroom whilst negotiations continued. But the teachers say they will not comply with the
decision.
President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers
(NAGRAT), Christian Addai-Opoku, has described the NLC ruling as “unfair” stressing; “their members “will not comply” with the directive.
According to Mr. Addai-Opoku, there is no negotiation going on currently because, “the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, (FWSC) claims it does not have the mandate to negotiate with us”.
He said NAGRAT is ready to face the NLC in court should the
latter decide to take legal action against them. He said the
teachers were determined to sustain the action until their
concerns were addressed.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Kwabena Osei, Head of salaries at Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) told Joy News “GNAT cannot give any assurance that their members will stop the strike” because “they are fully aware of the circumstances and the leadership supports the action of their members”.
http://www.modernghana.com/mobile/453476/1/striking-teachers-reject-nlcs-directive-say-ruling.html