Teachers still not in class (Thursday, March 28, 2013) )

There have been mixed responses to calls by the leaders of teacher unions on teachers to return to the classroom.

A visit to a number of schools in Accra Wednesday showed that while some teachers turned up to teach, others did not teach, even though they reported for work. 

In spite of the consensus reached between the government and teachers for the latter to return to the classroom, in most basic schools classes ended by 12 noon yesterday.

In some instances, pupils, unaware of the fact that their teachers had returned to the classroom, did not bother to turn up for school.

Most senior high schools (SHSs) vacated last Tuesday. They are expected to reopen on May 21. Candidates for the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will, however, return to school on Tuesday.

The striking teachers in first and second-cycle schools called off their strike with effect from yesterday when the leaders of the teacher unions urged their members to return to the classroom, while negotiations to resolve their grievances continued with the appropriate authorities.

At the Alogboshie Basic School at  Achimota in Accra, quite a number of teachers turned up for school. By 7.45 a.m. morning assembly was going on in earnest.

At the Accra New Town Cluster of Schools, even though quite a number of teachers had turned up, classrooms were sparsely filled, as pupils thought their teachers were still on strike.

Classes went on at the St Joseph Basic School at Adabraka, but, as in other places, not all teachers were in school.

The situation was not different at the Liberty Avenue Two Basic School, also at Adabraka, where only a few teachers were in school as of the time the Daily Graphic went there.

There were, however, a number of empty classrooms as of 1.15 p.m. With no serious teaching and learning going on, some of the pupils took to chatting and playing games in their classrooms.

A number of students were also busily rehearsing for an inter-circuit singing competition.

The headmistress of the school, who declined to give her name, said some of the teachers had been in school to teach and left afterwards.

She was, however, optimistic that by Tuesday the situation would normalise.

“Tomorrow is Holy Thursday, Friday is Good Friday and Monday is a holiday. Hopefully, everything will be ok by Tuesday,” she said.

The Mantse Tackie Primary School was under lock and key when the Daily Graphic got there at 1.20 p.m.

Pupils of the Liberty Avenue One and Four Basic School. also in Adabraka. told the Daily Graphic that even though their teachers had been in school, they had not taught.

Pupils of the Calvary Methodist Basic Two School and the Grey Memorial Basic School shared the same story when the Daily Graphic got to the schools by 1.45 p.m.

Interestingly, as of 2.15 p.m. teachers of the Adabraka Presbyterian Basic School were still teaching. But they declined to speak to the Daily Graphic in the absence of their headmaster.

Teachers in first and second-cycle schools in the public sector  embarked on a nationwide strike from March 18, 2013 over their conditions of service.

Among their grievances were the non-negotiation of a new proposal of the CBA for the teaching employees of the GES, the freeze on annual increment of staff of the GES, the non-payment of vehicle maintenance allowance from 2012 to date to GES staff who qualify and delays in resolving outstanding issues relating to the promotion of teachers.

Apart from refusing to teach, the teachers also refused to invigilate and supervise the WASSCE.