Mfantsipim School engages retired teachers

Cape Coast, Oct.11, GNA - Authorities of Mfantsipim School in cape Coast, have engaged retired and part-time teachers for continued academic work as a measure to off-set effects of the strike action embarked on by members of National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).

Mr Crosby Ashun, Headmaster of Mfantsipim who disclosed this to the contain the situation.

When GNA reached the school, some of the students were having classes, while others waited for their turn as the teachers were not many.

Mr Ashun, who is also the National Vice President of Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), added his voice to the call on the association to rescind its decision and use other means like negotiations to seek redress.

He appealed to the teachers to consider the future of the students particularly the Senior Secondary School (SSS) three students and return to the classroom.

At Saint Augustine's College, where the students were seen studying on their own, Mr Frank Amissah, the headmaster also informed retired staff to teach the final year students.

He pointed out that it was not only 'The future of the students which is at stake, but that of a generation. The future of the country is being toyed with.'

Mr Amissah expressed concern about the rampant strike actions by teachers that could give wrong signals to students in their desire to become teachers.

He suggested that form two students, should in the meantime be asked to go home, so that the few teachers to be engaged could concentrate on and prepare the final year students for their examination.

At Adisadel College, the students were seen studying on their own but the headmaster, Mr Herbert Graham, refused to talk to the GNA, while at Academy of Christ the King and the Ghana National College some students were studying, while others loitered.

Meanwhile, basic school teachers within Cape Coast Municipality have also joined the strike action by some of their colleagues in some parts of the country, to back their demands for better salary and working conditions.

Ms Veronica Fry-Annan Cape Coast Municipal Director of Education who confirmed this in an interview with GNA at Cape Coast on Tuesday, said the teachers embarked on the strike action after a meeting convened by the municipal branch of GNAT last Thursday.

She said as a result, all schools within the municipality had been deserted by the teachers, while some school children continued to attend school.

Ms Fry-Annan echoed calls on the striking teachers to reconsider their decision and return to the classroom and allow GNAT executives to negotiate for them, adding that although the situation was affecting everyone, they had to abide by the laws of the country.

She said she had however, directed headteachers to be at post, to give her daily reports about the situation, 'Since they were administrators and were not supposed to join the strike action'. Ms Fry-Annan said she would inform the Central Regional Director of Education about situation, to determine the 'next step to take'. She advised parents to endeavour to occupy and manage their children at home until the situation was resolved and called on all Junior Secondary School (JSS) three pupils to attend school daily to enable them register for their BECE examination.

Ms Fry-Annan gave the assurance that headteachers would be available to assist them to undertake the registration, which she said was already behind time.

When GNA visited Philip Quaicoe School, the students were seen loitering with no teachers around, while all the classrooms at Catholic Jubilee School had been locked.

Ms Mary Mensah a primary five pupil of Philip Quaicoo Girls School appealed to the teachers to call off the strike and return to school since they could not attend school without them.