Strike: Teacher unions to embark on industrial strike on 4th November over GES Director's appointment & Anthony Boateng’s contract extension

Three teacher unions have threatened to lay down their tools following the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah as the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service.

They are, the National President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Ghana National Association of Teachers and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers.

Ghana National Association of Teachers, for example, gave the government up to November 4, 2022, to revoke the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah.

The Government has on the other hand indicated that the unions do not have the right to determine who is appointed as the Director General of GES.

From NAGRAT, the Collective Agreement states clearly, the various ranks within the GES as well as the conditions and criteria for appointing persons to the said ranks. Section 7 of the Collective Agreement enjoins us the Service to at all times ensure that all persons appointed to any position in the GES must have the relevant qualifications and experiences.

The Collective Agreement in Section 6 has listed the various ranks in the GES, i.e. from Superintendent II up to Director-General.

From 1974 to date, seventeen (17) Director-General’s have been appointed to serve at the GES. Out of this number, five (5) were professors from the Academia, who were known to have operated in the education space. The rest were all higher officers of the GES.

The appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah as Director-General indicates to us that, the Ministry has not found anybody worthy or capable within the GES to be a Director-General.

Extension of Service of Mr. Anthony Boateng, Deputy Director-General of GES.

“The extension of service for Mr. Anthony Boateng is unfortunate and unacceptable since the GES is endowed with several qualified persons to be promoted to the rank of Deputy Director-General”.

“The contract extension of Mr. Anthony Boateng contributes in stifling the growth of capable persons in the GES from climbing up the ladder”.

“Henceforth, failure of the Powers-that-be, to revoke the appointments of these personalities i.e. Dr. Eric Nkansah and Mr. Anthony Boateng will leave NAGRAT Members and other unions no option other than to advise ourselves from 4th November, 2022”, NAGRAT president added.