Gomoa teachers embark on demonstration to better service condition

Apam (C/R) Oct. 3 GNA - About five hundred teachers in the Gomoa District on Monday went on a peaceful demonstration to support their demand for better Service condition.

The demonstrators, clad in red attire, carried placards some of which read, "Teachers also need good deal", "Treat Teachers well for better Ghana", "Teachers are good tool, pay them better" and Capitation should go with better pay."

They started from Apam township, went through some of the principal streets and ended at the district Assembly and presented a petition through the District Chief Executive, Madam Joyce Aidoo, to President Agyekum Kufuor.

The petition, signed by the Gomoa District GNAT secretary, Thomas B. Arthur was read by the district GNAT chairman, Mr. Archibald Kobena Fuah.

In the petition, the teachers expressed their displeasure about the long delay in reaching agreement at the on-going salary negotiation between GNAT and the Government.

They said that the delay has "brought untold hardship to them and has thrown out their socio-economics programmes out gear."

The teachers therefore said that the agreement reached at the negotiation should be accepted by both parties without any conditions. The petition stated that a memorandum of understanding is immediately singed by both parties to effect payments and ensure that all allowances due the teachers are paid without delay.

They said the 2006 negotiations should commence in good time to enable teachers to do their best to enhance quality education. The DCE, who received the petition commended the teachers for the peaceful and orderly manner the demonstration was organised. She promised to send the petition to the appropriate quarters and appealed to the teachers to go back to the classroom for the sake of the children.

Both Mr. Fuah and Mr. Arthur respectively appealed to their members to go back to the classroom but the teachers shouted "no we are not going to school."

A copy of the petition was given to the district office of the Ghana Education Service (GES) for the Director General of Education.