Loitering around, engaging in conversations and other activities such as playing of football by students were some of the scenes when the Ghanaian Times visited some schools in Accra yesterday.
The schools visited included the Accra Wesley Girls Senior High School (SHS); Kaneshie Cluster of Schools; Kaneshie-Awudome 1 and 2 Junior High School; Nii Amugi Avenue School; Calvary 1 and 2 Methodist Basic Schools and the Gray Memorial Basic School at Kaneshie, Awudome and Adabraka respectively.
The visit by the paper was to monitor the situation on the grounds as four teacher unions namely the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT-Ghana) and Teachers and Education Workers Union (TEWU) begun their indefinite nationwide industrial strike.
At the Accra Wesley Girls SHS, students were seen undertaking their mock examination under the supervision of their teachers. However, the Headmistress of the school declined speaking to the Ghanaian Times.
Moreover, when the Ghanaian Times got to the Kaneshie Cluster of Schools, students were seen playing football, others were engaged in conversations, some loitering about and others siting on the classroom tables singing. The headmaster or headmistress, as well as teachers, were not present.
At the Kaneshie-AwudomeJHS, teachers were present to observe and monitor the activities of students. One of the teachers who wanted to remain anonymous said they were present on the grounds in compliance with a GES directive instructing all teachers to keep the classrooms open to the students.
He further indicated that during strike actions officials from the various teacher unions came around to monitor if the directive were being heeded to. Going forward, he explained that “we will be waiting to hear from our executives, the strike just begun today.”
Also, some students, in the absence of their teachers, could be seen tutoring their colleagues.
The scene was the same at theCalvary Methodist, Gray Memorial and the Nii Amugi Basic Schools at Adabraka with some officials of the GNAT present to ensure that no teaching and learning took place.
The headmistress of Calvary 1 and 2 Basic school, who failed to provide her name and declined to speak on the matter took advantage of the situation to make some renovations at the school’slibrary.
It would be recalled that four teacher unions announced a nationwide strike over government’s inability to grant them their 20 per cent Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).
The Unions were the GNAT, CCT-Ghana, NAGRAT and the TEWU.
This followed the June 30, 2022 deadline given to government to institute the COLA to avoid any actions.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY AND JESSEL LARTEY THERSON-COFIE