Concerned Teachers on strike
Some members of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Association of Brong Ahafo, have embarked on a strike against what they described as Government’s failure to address their grievances.
Consequently, some basic schools in the Sunyani Municipality have been closed down and some pupils, who reported for classes, were asked to go home because their teachers were absent.
The schools included the Boahenkorkor Cluster of Schools and the Kotokrom Municipal Assembly School.
Reverend Timothy Kankam Dwumfour, Sunyani Municipal Director of Education (MDE), in an interview with GNA, said he met with representatives of the Concerned Teachers last Thursday to discuss the matter.
The Municipal Director of Education said that at the meeting he asked the headteachers of the schools involved in the strike to prevail on their colleague teachers to return to the classroom.
He said the representatives failed to convince their members to call of the strike and rather asked them to continue with the action.
Rev. Dwumfour lamented that the strike was affecting education in the Municipality and said: “An in-service training course is to be held for some headteachers, circuit supervisors and curriculum leaders but with this strike action the programme ought to be set aside”.
The Municipal Director of Education said that he would meet the striking teachers again to convince them to rescind their decision.
When GNA contacted Mr Martin Ahenkan, Spokesperson for the Association, on the issue, he denied asking members not to report to their various schools.
He said “When Rev. Dwumfour called me on Wednesday I told him I was in Accra and I would be back on Thursday. We had a meeting on Thursday with the Municipal Director of Education but we didn’t ask our members not to go to the classroom to teach.”
Mr Ahenkan appealed to Government, to as a matter of urgency, ensure the promotion of some teachers, which was overdue, and abolish tax on retention premium on professional allowance among other concerns.
He said the striking teachers might not resume work until all their grievances are addressed.
Source: GNA