By Samuel Akumatey, GNA
Ho, Dec. 9, GNA - The nationwide strike declared by teachers has disrupted end of term examinations in public basic and pre-tertiary schools in the Volta Region.
Some affected schools visited by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in the Ho Municipality on Monday showed low student turnout, with the few on campus making their way home.
Schools, which were beginning their end of first term examinations this week, were most affected as teachers failed to report, leaving examination supervision in the hands of a few National Service Personnel (NSP).
At the Philip Akpo Memorial Roman Catholic School in Ho, less than five trained teachers were seen on campus, with a handful of National Service Personnel helping the Headmistress organise examinations.
Almost all lower primary students had either decided to stay at home or left school barely hours after reporting.
Mr Forgive Yao Agoha, Volta Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Education Service (GES), following a monitoring exercise in some schools in the region, told GNA that quite a number of teachers were in school undertaking their duties.
He said heads of some basic and second cycle institutions have made special arrangements to get National Service Personnel to help conduct examinations, particularly for final year students.
The PRO commended such school heads, including those of the Ho Kpodzi Basic Schools, saying they have exhibited “quality management skills” without which the examinations would have been jeopardized.
He said some heads are deliberating with some teaching staff on the need to report and support the examination exercise and that an Executive of the Ho Kpodzi Basic A Parent Teacher Association has also joined the support team there.
The PRO said at the Mawuko Senior High School, about 65 of the approximately 80 teachers were present and students successfully sat for the mathematics papers.
He said 41 gold track teachers were also present at Mawuli School when his team visited the school.
Mr Agoha said Public Relations Officers in the various districts have been directed to engage heads of schools in their localities on getting teachers and service personnel to support academic activities.
“If we all sit down unconcerned, students would suffer. If arrears are paid at the end of the day, who would be at the losing end?” he quizzed.
He said some union heads have visited schools and threatened teachers found on campus, forcing some schools in the region to close down until further notice.
The PRO said it was not the duty of parents to ask their wards to stay at home and management of the GES is doing its best to ensure that teaching and learning progressed although the strike was in force.
He said with recent threats of kidnappings, parents must collaborate with school managements and the GES on issues concerning the strike action.
“We should not create opportunities for unscrupulous individuals to exploit our children and the situation. Parents must seek the permission of school heads and management as well as the GES before taking their children home,” he said.
A teacher at the Philip Akpo RC School told GNA that although the strike was in the right direction, scheduling it for a time when examinations are underway would affect not only students but schedules of tutors and examiners.
“We have been in arrears for long and our concerns must be heard. When you are hungry you cannot work. It is only bad we are having this strike during the exams period”, he said.
Mr Anthony Amegadzi, also a teacher at the Basic School, and a local GNAT Vice Chairman, accused government for not being “proactive” towards their demands as it was with other professional bodies.
“If it should have been with the health services, they would be called ‘essential services’. The Education Minister must be active and step down if he knows he cannot do the job”, he said.
Mr Amegadzi said poor working conditions was affecting the teaching job and the unions have resolved not to go back to the classrooms until their grievances were addressed.
Most final year students of OLA Senior High school were found in the School library preparing for their examinations, many unsure of the time table.
Three teacher unions- the Ghana National Association of Teachers, (GNAT), National Association Of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) last week declared a nationwide strike action over what they described as legacy arrears spanning 2012 to 2016.
GNA
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