Tertiary education in Ghana heading towards danger – NUGS

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has bemoaned the failure of the government to resolve the labour unrest among workers of public tertiary education institutions in the country.

According to the union, academic work in all public tertiary education institutions in the country has almost come to a halt because a lot of workers’ unions in the sector have laid down their tools.

In a statement issued on Wednesday (December 12), NUGS added that the situation is also adversely affecting private university students because their schools are affiliated to some public universities in the country.

“The continuous inability of the Ministry of Education to resolve the issues with the striking unions is fuelling a growing unrest and frustration of students and the entire educational system.

“Currently, there are 5 Educational workers’ unions across all public Universities and all Colleges of Education who are on strike. The consequence of these mass strike actions is devastating with major academic and administrative activities such as teaching, marking, transcript release, admission processes (and) graduation processes (being) affected. Tertiary education in Ghana has almost been brought to a halt.

“Even more disheartening is the impact on private Universities who are affiliated to various public Universities now unable to graduate students due to striking actions in the mentoring public universities who are to facilitate these processes,” parts of the statement read.

The students’ union urged the government and all stakeholders involved to, as a matter of urgency, resolve the impasse so that the education of the future leaders of the country will continue smoothly.

Almost all teaching staff and non-teaching staff of public tertiary educational institutions in Ghana under the Ministry of Education are on strike.

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (TEWU), Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), Senior Staff Association (SSA), Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), Colleges of Education Non-Teaching Staff Association of Ghana (CENTSAG) and the Technical University Teachers' Association of Ghana (TUTAG) have all declared strike actions.

Read the full statement by NUGS below:

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— Dr. Clement Abas Apaak (@DrApaak) December 7, 2022