Teachers at Colleges of Education across Ghana, who have been on strike for the past 65 days, have expressed severe hardship as they struggle to provide for their families following the freezing of their salaries.
The strike, which began as a protest for improved conditions of service, has shown no signs of ending as negotiations with the government have stalled.
During a press conference held in Ho, the capital of the Volta Region, the teachers, represented by Dr Dominic Owusu, painted a bleak picture of their current situation.
They revealed that, the government’s decision to withhold their July salaries due to their continued absence from the classrooms has pushed them to the brink of financial collapse.
Many teachers are now finding it difficult to feed their families and meet their basic needs, leading to growing frustration and despair within the teaching community.
Dr Owusu, speaking on behalf of his colleagues, emphasized the gravity of their plight.
He noted that the teachers had been left with no choice but to embark on the strike action after numerous appeals for better working conditions and fair treatment had been ignored by the authorities.
Despite the ongoing hardship, the striking teachers remain resolute, vowing to continue their industrial action until all their demands are met.
“The situation has become unbearable for us,” Dr Owusu stated. “We are not just fighting for ourselves; we are fighting for the future of education in this country. Our resolve to continue this strike until our demands are fully met is unshaken.”
The prolonged strike has raised concerns about the potential long-term impact on the country’s education system, particularly in training future teachers.
With no resolution in sight, the stalemate threatens to further disrupt academic activities and deepen the challenges faced by both students and educators in the Colleges of Education.
As the strike drags on, the teachers are calling on the government to urgently address their grievances and engage in meaningful dialogue to resolve the impasse.
They insist that the government’s nonchalant attitude towards their plight only exacerbates the situation and erodes the trust and goodwill that once existed between the teaching fraternity and the authorities.
The teachers have made it clear that they will not back down until their demands for improved conditions of service, including the payment of their withheld salaries, are fully addressed.
The current standoff underscores the growing tension between the government and the teaching community, with both sides seemingly entrenched in their positions.
As the strike continues, all eyes are on the government to see how it will respond to the teachers’ demands and whether a resolution can be found to bring an end to the ongoing industrial action.
Source: Ivy Setordjie
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