National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communication Team Member Julius Karl D. Fieve has appealed to striking teachers to return to the classroom, assuring them that the government will pay their outstanding allowances by the end of October.
Speaking to Isaac Addae on The Verdict on Starr FM, Mr Fieve said Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has assured teachers that government is committed to paying the allowances.
“I think our venerable Education Minister, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, has actually assured them that the money is going to be paid, I think, by the end of this next month, which is October,” he said.
Mr Fieve urged the teachers not to allow the strike to disrupt efforts to restore the academic calendar to its pre-COVID schedule.
“We have suffered enough to bring the calendar, the school academic calendar, back to the pre-COVID era. I mean, we used to do the September intake, then after COVID it went to January. So we would like to appeal to our teachers not to actually jeopardise that. So they should return to the classroom,” he stated.
He said government is aware of the teachers’ concerns and is working to address them, insisting that the current administration remains committed to honouring its obligations.
“We are on a reset, but being on a reset does not mean that we will not honour whatever they want,” Mr Fieve said.
Defending the government’s record in the education sector, he said more than 7,000 teachers recruited in 2023 under the previous government were left unpaid until the current government assumed office.
“We have over 7,000 teachers that were recruited by the NPP in 2023 that were not paid. We came in and we, I think, we got them paid in this year,” he said.
Mr Fieve further disclosed that government had given clearance for about 16,000 teachers to be recruited, with approximately 8,000 already employed.
“We’ve given clearance for about 16,000 teachers to be recruited. About 8,000 have since been recruited. So it tells you that we’re doing a lot,” he added.
He also defended the government’s decision to retain the teachers’ licensure examination, saying it is being incorporated into the final examination system for teachers.
Mr Fieve maintained that government is taking steps to address challenges within the education sector and urged the striking teachers to return to work while discussions on their outstanding allowances continue.
He reiterated that the allowances would be paid by the end of October, urging teachers to return to the classroom to prevent further disruption to teaching and learning.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Pamela Quayson
