The second day of the ongoing training for Teachers and Zonal Supervisors on the New Curriculum from the Northern, North East and Savannah regions was characterized with agitations and protests over poor treatment and remuneration at the Tamale Technical University campus where the workshop is ongoing.
The aggrieved Teachers and Supervisors numbering about 500 on Tuesday (29 December, 2020) threatened to boycott the workshop if they Ghana Education Service (GES) and Ministry of Education fail to increase their sitting allowance and T&T.
One of the disgruntled teachers who identified himself as Awula Mohammed said, “We were asked to attend a workshop and the reporting date was Sunday, we came here and even sleeping place was a problem, they just sent us to anywhere. No water, we had to go to a far place to fetch water for ourselves, a lot of people here have not bathed and they’ve not told us anything, no opening ceremony, we even asked them to come and tell us what to do, nothing”
He continued, “Today, look at the sort of breakfast they’ve given us. You come here as a landlord and come to stand here and you give me this small cup and ask me to queue and stand here to take tea, no sitting place. We said we wanted to hear from the organisers today about the organization, they came and told us there was nothing and that when we are going home they only GHS200 to give us to go, look at where I am coming from, Bunkprugu after staying here for five days.”
Another aggrieved person alleged that they have been denied snacks as well but indicated this is captured in their training manual daily.
“But, we have our colleagues in the Upper West and Upper East regions; they have converted their snacks into money. We also supposed to take GHS100 as accommodation allowance for everyday but where is it? They have not given us. We are not going to attend the workshop until we’re given what we deserve” he added.
Meanwhile, THE CUSTODIAN understands a meeting was held between leadership of the aggrieved members and the Ghana Education Service in the region. However, the angry teachers said the outcome of the meeting was not communicated to them and therefore blamed the situation on administrative errors.