COVID-19: Teacher Unions kick against re-opening of schools in Ghana

Teacher Unions in the country have kicked against moves to re-open schools across the country in the midst of the continuous rise in the case count of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

A statement signed and released by the leaders of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) as well as the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) said the pandemic is still wreaking havoc all over the world including Ghana.

The Teacher Unions argued that the items for the observation of the necessary protocols by both teachers, students and other workers within our educational institutions are not available across the country.

“We cannot expose our teachers and students to the COVID-19 pandemic with its attendant sorrows and gnashing of teeth,” the statement read.

It would be recalled that the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo shut down schools across the country on March 16, 2020 after the country recorded its first case of COVID-19 on March 12.

The closure of schools came at a time Ghanaian schools apart from the final year students had about three to four weeks to go on vacation.

Form three students in both Junior and Senior High Schools were also getting ready to write their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) respectively.

After almost two months of managing the pandemic in the country, the government last week invited proposals from the Teacher Unions through the Ghana Education Service (GES) for consideration should the restrictions on public gatherings be lifted if the President addresses the nation on May 31, 2020.

Meanwhile the President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu, has hinted that the Teacher Unions would be meeting the government on the issue on Wednesday May 20 a. He said they will ensure that decisions taken at the meeting do not compromise the safety of teachers and students in our schools.

Find below the Full Statement by the Teacher Unions:

By Francis Kobena Tandoh || Ghananewsonline.com.gh