By Michael Pepsin Avorgah
Aflao (V/R), Oct. 8, GNA – Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, has appealed to striking teachers to return to the classrooms while continuing negotiations with the Ministry of Education to resolve their concerns.
She said teachers played a critical role in shaping the future of children and urged them and the authorities to pursue dialogue and compromise in addressing the issues that led to the strike.
Madam Gomashie made the appeal when she spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after commissioning and handing over a six-unit classroom block at Avoeme Basic School in the Ketu South Municipality.
She said teachers deserved to have their concerns addressed, but the interests of children also had to be protected.
“I believe that we can negotiate without being antagonistic. We can negotiate without being combative. We can negotiate without being confrontational. We can negotiate peacefully,” she said.
Madam Gomashie appealed to the teachers to return to school while negotiations continued, saying a solution should benefit both teachers and pupils.
She said she was aware of the contribution teachers had made to the development of many people, including herself, and therefore did not take their concerns or contribution to national development for granted.
Madam Gomashie said dialogue between teachers and the Ministry of Education could lead to a compromise that would address the concerns of teachers without denying children their education.
She said the issue was not about individuals but about finding solutions to the challenges facing the country and urged all parties involved in the negotiations to continue engaging with one another.
“Is it good enough? Perhaps not. Can they improve? This is why the dialogue comes in,” she said.
The teacher unions have been on strike for several days over their demands, leaving thousands of students and parents uncertain about the resumption of teaching and learning.
The strike was declared by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).
The unions declared immediate nationwide industrial action over outstanding promotion allowances and arrears owed to teachers, as well as delays in negotiations with the Government.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Linda Asante Agyei