(CETAG STRIKE UPDATE) SPEECH OF THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF COLLEGES OF EDUCATION TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION OF GHANA (CETA G) AT A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD BY THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 26, 2013 AT GNAT HALL, KUMASI. The press, National Council Members of CETAG, Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you all to this press conference here at GNAT Hall in Kumasi today, 26th June, 2013. The purpose of this interaction is to let all stakeholders of education in our dear country know the basis of the weeklong suspension of teaching activities by the membership of CETAG in all the thirty-eight public Colleges of Education across Ghana. At this press Conference, the association would also like to state the way forward as far as our action is concerned. Issue will be discussed under the following thematic focus • Background to the strike action • Evidence of previous communication with authorities and • The way forward BACKROUND TO THE STRIKE ACTION Tutors have been training diplomates since 2004 when the teacher training colleges were mandated by the government to function in their new status as diploma awarding institutions. Tutors have had to undergo further studies to be able to do this work. After several years of pressing and waiting, the parliament of Ghana finally passed the Colleges of Education Act in 2012, Act 847, on 27 June 2012 and it was given assent by the president and gazetted on 29 June, 2012. Despite the fact that the law designates the Colleges as Tertiary, the Ministry of Education continues to place tutors in the colleges under the Ghana Education Service. What this means is that the following additional responsibilitie s that training diplomats have placed on tutors are not properly recognized and remunerated accordingly. • Teaching practice supervision throughout the academic year • Action Research Supervision • New Mode of Assessment • Mentorship Training and Support • Guidance and Counseling • Community Support and Extension work • Research Work • Publications Tutors feel that this identity crisis of conflicting placement under GES while our work demands are of tertiary in practice continues to cause us unfair treatment. It is sad to note that we keep losing our members to the polytechnics and other tertiary institutions because our qualifications are not taken into consideration under this new dispensation. EVIDENCE OF PREVIOUS COMMUNICATION WITH AUTHORITIES There have been several meeting between CETAG and the Ministry of Education with the National Council for Tertiary Education(NCTE) to make available the Statutes, Conditions and Scheme of Service of the College of Education to the Association and the Colleges since the passage of Act 847 in June 2012. In March this year, CETAG met with the Minister of Education on the subject. Assurance was given that the afore- mentioned documentations will be made available to the teachers soon. Again, on April 13, 2013, CETAG wrote a letter to the Minister, referenced NCTE/CETAG/ VOL.1/002/13 requesting her office to make available the documentation. On March 30, 2013 CETAG wrote to remind the minister of our request. Sadly, the response has always been the same: Have patience. On 18th June, 2013, the deputy Minister of education, Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa invited the leadership of CETAG for a dialogue. Present at the meeting were Prof. Mahama (Executive Secretary of NCTE), Mr. D.K. Tay, Director (Tertiary) at Ministry of Education, and other officials of the GES. CETAG was told the documentation was yet to be finalized. CETAG demanded for a Memorandum of Understanding. But, the Minister said they could not do that. He said they would discuss our issue in a meeting scheduled for the following week. Members then decided to withdraw teaching service till that condition was met. As at now CETAG is yet to hear from the Minister of Education. THE WAY FORWARD At today’s (26/6/ 13) National Council Meeting, members have resolved to continue with the strike action. Further, CETAG has resolved to withdraw participation of its membership from the invigilation and marking processes of the End- Of-Semester Examinations conducted by the Institute of Education, University of Cape Coast. We shall also not attend to the Post- Internship Students who will soon return to their respective colleges for their final examinations. All these actions shall remain indefinite. We are using this Press Conference to direct all tutors in 38 public Colleges of Education to comply with this directive until they hear otherwise from the National Executive Committee. Thank you very much. SGD Joseph Nkyi-Asamoah (National Chairman); Prince Obeng-Himah (Assistant National Secretary). MY COMMENT. WHY ALWAYS FROM KUMASI? SOMETHING CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THESE "KUMASI HAPPENINGS"
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 11:25:55 +0000
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