Two-week strike will not derail academic calendar – GNAT President

The President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Prosper Tachie, asserts that the recent two-week strike by teacher unions will not disrupt the academic calendar, emphasizing that lost contact hours can be recovered. Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Mr. Tachie stressed that the focus should be on teacher welfare and the government's commitment to them, rather than solely on the academic calendar.

He stated, "If you take good care of the employees, the employees in turn will take good care of the clients." Mr. Tachie's remarks came in response to questions about whether teachers could have trusted the government's promises earlier to avoid disrupting the academic calendar. He further affirmed that the lost instructional time can be made up once teachers return to the classroom, stating, "It’s not about the academic calendar.

It’s about execution, and once we return back to the classroom, you ensure that we make up for the lost contact hours." The teacher unions suspended their strike following meetings with the Minister of Labour and the Council of State, after assurances and commitments were made to address their concerns. Mr. Tachie highlighted that the debate surrounding the strike should also consider the welfare of teachers and the implementation of agreed conditions of service.