GTEC Directs Colleges Of Education To Remain Open Despite CETAG's Prolonged Strike

• The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has stated that all colleges of education will remain open despite two months of sustained CETAG strike
• According to GTEC, the government is working assiduously to resolve CETAG's demands and ensure they return to the classroom
• In the meantime, GTEC is seeking financial clearance for the recruitment of some 2,500 teachers to augment the workload at the colleges

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) says all 46 Colleges of Education will remain open despite the prolonged strike of the Colleges of Education Teachers’ Association of Ghana (CETAG).

GTEC stated that while there have been calls for the closure of the colleges, it has not reached such a conclusion, and neither has the Education Minister directed it to do the same.

CETAG embarked on a strike in June 2024 to protest the government’s failure to implement their arbitral awards and negotiated conditions of service, among others.

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It stated that members will not resume work until the government fully implements their demands.

To demonstrate the government’s commitment to addressing their demands, GTEC says it has successfully migrated 20 institutions and expects to migrate the remaining 26 institutions before the end of the month.

GTEC also announced that the government had paid the top-up of the research allowance to 44 colleges of education, excluding McCoy and Dambai, which have unresolved technical issues.

According to GTEC, the contentious all-year-round payment has been initiated on the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

This would enable the Finance Ministry to issue release letters and specific payment warrants to be effected immediately.

Meanwhile, GTEC is awaiting the Education Minister’s directive concerning the August salaries of striking teachers.

GTEC to recruit 2,500 new teachers

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GTEC also disclosed that it had initiated talks with the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, concerning recruiting some 2,500 teaching staff at the various colleges of education.

The additional staff is to augment the current load for academic work to begin as soon as possible while the government continues to resolve the demands of CETAG.

GTEC is seeking financial clearance for the recruitment to begin earnestly.

PRINCOF urges CETAG to call off strike

YEN.com.gh reported that the Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education had urged the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana to call off its strike.

According to PRINCOF, the government had begun to fulfil its part of the Memorandum of Understanding.

PRINCOF also appealed to CETAG to reciprocate the government's 'gesture of goodwill' by returning to the classroom.

Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copyeditor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh