The Minority in Parliament has backed the teacher unions’ opposition to the Ghana Education Service’s semester system for basic and secondary schools.
In a statement, the Minority called on the Service and the Ministry of Education to withdraw the new academic calendar “because it lacks professional touch for a more academic friendly and healthy one to be considered.”
It feels the semester “is an importation which does not suit our Ghanaian educational environment.”
“As a Minority, we fully support the teacher unions in whatever democratic means they will take to stop this semester system being imposed on them,” it added.
The Minority also urged the unions to be more vocal in their opposition to the new system “so that the health of both the teachers and the children is not compromised.”
“We are of the strong conviction that the teacher unions in the country are aware of this academic calendar and have studied it and given the needed analysis. As professionals, we believe that the welfare of your members as well as the children that you teach is paramount to you.”
“The Minority, therefore, thinks strongly that you have to add your voice to this call so that the health of both the teachers and the children is not compromised.”
The unions have called on the government to engage all stakeholders in education, including civil society organizations.
The Ghana Education Service has expressed its willingness to continually engage with teacher unions on the change of the trimester-based academic calendar to a semester system for basic schools.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
