Teachers' unions dissatisfied with their exclusion from education policy meetings

General News of Monday, February 11, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-02-11

Two teacher unions, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the National Association of Teachers of Ghana (GNAT), are unhappy with the Akufo-Addo government for their exclusion from the development of educational policies. .

According to them, the government is hiding behind the Ghana Partnerships Schools (GPS) to introduce new policies through the back door using public-private partnership (PPP).

"We note with deep concern the subtle introduction of the public-private partnership (PPP) model into education, under the guise of Ghana Partnerships Schools (GPS). It is in this context that teacher unions have criticized the PPP model with reference to Article 25 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, "said David Ofori Acheampong, General Secretary of GNAT, and the President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu,.

Teacher unions believe that their systematic exclusion from political commitments is a deliberate decision of the government.

"The teachers' unions wish to express their dissatisfaction with the deliberate and persistent exclusions of the formulation and then the implementation of certain educational policies, for example. Ghana Partner Schools. "

They also complain of their negligence on the part of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Education, which allegedly organized a meeting in Ada without any representative of the teachers union.

"We are reliably informed of the imminent meeting to finalize the design of the Ghana Partnership School Program from February 10 to 13, 2019 at the Aqua Safari Hotel, in Ada, in the region of Greater Accra. "

In the statement, GNAT and NAGRAT leaders urged the government to suspend the meeting and mobilize teachers' unions.

"We demand that the government stop the meeting, suspend the program and engage the teachers' unions in a broad consultation."

The teachers' unions say that they will advise if the government ignores their request.

"We hereby notify that the absence of suspension of the program will not leave teacher unions the choice to advise themselves with respect to the implementation of the program of partnerships with schools of the United States. Ghana, "the statement added.