Teachers banned from holding weddings, funerals during school term

Teachers in the Assin South District of the Central Region have been banned from organising wedding and funeral ceremonies in the area during school terms.

The directive, which was said to have been issued by the District Director of Education, Mrs Nelly Sally Coleman, during a familiarization tour to the circuits in the area will mean no teacher in the district could hold weddings or funerals even on weekends.

No reasons were given for the decision by the education directorate which is said to have triggered anger among the teachers in the district.

Among other allegations made by the teachers in the area, the Educational Director is said to have refused to grant the mandatory three- month maternity leave to female teachers and rather grant them only six weeks leave.

The teachers have also accused Mrs. Coleman of refusing to grant Ghana Education Teachers who are due for retirement the three-month terminal leave as required.

“She has so far, demonstrated gross disrespect to all teachers in the district,” the teachers alleged and urged the GES to immediately call her to order “since her actions and inactions remains a hindrance to quality education in the district”.

They claim the Education Director has wrote an official letter to all basic school teachers in the district to pay GHC50 for a workshop on capitation grant preparation on 23rd and 24th June, 2016.

Further, they accused her of unwarranted delays in signing some documents relating to teachers’ salaries that are submitted to her for approval, noting some of the documents have been at the directorate as far back as March 2016.

“Head teachers and teachers who visit the directorate will have to spend several hours before they are attended to.

According to them, the director has developed a penchant for refusal to process the application of untrained teachers who have successfully completed their professional programmes at the University of Cape Coast, University of Education Winneba and other accredited tertiary institutions, unto the rank of for professional status.

“Her reason for refusing to upgrade most teachers is that, the teachers should put their certificate down until five to seven years before they are upgraded,” the teachers alleged.