President Akufo-Addo appeals To Teachers To Return To Classrooms

President Akufo-Addo has appealed to the four striking teacher unions to call off their strike to safeguard the education of children.

Speaking at this year’s Eid-Ul-Adha celebration, the President said for the sake of the candidates who are preparing to write their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) later this year, the teachers should return to the classroom as government works to resolve their grievances.

“I am aware that some teacher unions have declared a strike in pursuit of a twenty percent (20%) cost of living allowance. I am happy that yesterday the teachers were joined by other members of organised labour, under the Trades Union Congress, to sit down with Government, led by the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations and the Minister for Education, to begin negotiations on this matter.”

“I want to add my voice to the appeal by the outstanding Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Member of Parliament for Sunyani West, for the teachers to return to the classrooms, pending the outcome of negotiations, so that the education of our children, some of whom are preparing to sit their final exams, is not affected. We are in a difficult place. The world is in a difficult place. Leaders around the world, like we are doing here in Ghana, are working assiduously to resolve the fundamental challenges that have plunged the world into the current economic condition in which it finds itself. But, just as the efforts of Hagar resulted in the discovery of the Zamzam well, from which we drink to this day, I am confident that, soon, we shall also discover our own Zamzam,” the President stated.