Private School Teachers ‘fight’ Akufo-Addo over postponement of academic year

President Akufo-Addo announced during his 16^th COVID-19 update that the directive includes nursery, kindergarten, primary, Junior High School (JHS) 1 and Senior High School (SHS) 1 students.

The President said the next academic year will resume in January 2021, adding that the Ghana Education Service (GES) will make the necessary adjustments to the curriculum to fit the situation.

In a statement, the Coalition of Private School Teachers, Ghana said the government was denying them their livelihood.

“We reject the reasons for denying the Ghanaian children their constitutional rights to education for almost one year and the right of private school teachers to work to earn decent livelihoods,” the statement said.

The teachers also accused the government of “denying Ghanaian children their right to education” when Ghana’s active COVID-19 cases are less than 1,200.

The group said they have been left surprised by silence of the media as well as political and religious leaders on the issue.

“The silence of all political parties, religious leaders, the media, civil society organizations etc. to this issue is a clear attestation to the fact that Ghana as a country does not prioritize the education of our children and if indeed it is true that we reap what we sow, then posterity will be a better judge,” the teachers bemoaned.

Meanwhile, Akufo-Addo also announced last week that second-year JHS and SHS students will be returning to school on October 5, 2020.

“With Junior High Schools operating with class sizes of thirty (30), and Senior High Schools with class sizes of twenty-five (25), SHS 2 and JHS 2 students will be in school for ten (10) weeks to study, and write their end of term examinations,” he said during his address.