Impasse between CETAG and government

NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE CURRENT IMPASSE BETWEEN THE TUTORS IN THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION OF GHANA (CETAG) AND GOVERNMENT AND THE WAY FORWARD. 

Government policy to transform the Colleges of Education into degree-awarding institutions is a giant step in the annals of Teacher Education in Ghana. The President on the 16th of June, 2018, launched the policy at the 170th anniversary of the Presbyterian College of Education at Akropong- Akuapem in the Eastern Region. The idea of transforming the Colleges of Education into degree-awarding institutions in the 2018/2019 academic year was a laudable one.

The critical question is: how ready are these colleges, in terms of infrastructure, logistics, and qualified staff, among others, to handle the various courses? The Ccollegesstill face major challenges since it was last transformed from certificate ‘‘A’’ status to Diploma in 2004. These include inadequate infrastructure and facilities for students and all categories of staff at the Colleges. Though some of the Colleges are more resourced than others, most of them need more improvement by the government to match their current status.

Staff need to be motivated to give their best, and students welfare and studies also require improvement. Currently, the minimum qualification to teach at the Colleges is Master’s degree with research background. With their current status, the Colleges are now offering four-year Bachelor’s degree and as part of the transformation agenda, the Colleges have been affiliated with other public universities apart from the University of Cape Coast, which used to be the only mentoring University, which hitherto moderate the activities of all 46 colleges. This means that eventually a first degree will be the minimum requirement for teaching at the Basic education level to help produce high skilled workforce to transform Ghana’s economy. 

A strong Educational foundation is fundamental to addressing human resource needs, as countries like Finland, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and United States are where they are today as a result of the strong foundations they gave to their Educational system. As the popular saying goes, “All Professionals can boast, but it is the teacher that taught them all.” This statement underscores the importance of the teacher in the socio-economic development of every nation.

The current strike embarked upon by Tutors of the Colleges of Education (CETAG), is to help address some of the conditions of service of these Teachers by Government. This forms part of the transformation of the Colleges of Education. In August, 2023, CETAG was asked by the National Labour Commission (NLC) to call off its strike after an assurance by Government to resolve the non-implementation of its 2017/2022 conditions of service in a Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U) signed between the two.

The current strike by CETAG is a result of the non-completion of the conditions of service, signed about a year ago. The MOU includes approved conditions of service owed members per the NLC’s Arbitral Award Orders for the payment of one-month salary to each member as compensation for additional duty performed in 2022, as ordered by the NLC. The implementation of the Staff Audit Report and subsequent extension of public Universities’ rates of allowances to deserving members of CETAG.

To help restore academic work on the various campuses and ensure smooth completion of the  2023/2024 calendar, the government, through bodies like the National Labour Commission (NLC), the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), should make conscious efforts to properly engage CETAG to help resolve the current impasse amicably and alleviate the woes of the Teacher Trainees, so as not to disrupt the already volatile academic calendar after the recession on the academic front.

Teachers  also deserve better remuneration, care, and attention, as their lives also matter. Since the current final year students have just about three months to complete their academic programmes, it will be prudent, that processes towards amicable settlement and fulfilment of promises be fast tracked for academic progression. The assurance by Parliament to invite the Education Minister to address the CETAG strike is a step in the right direction to help bring normalcy to the campuses of the Colleges of Education.

A stitch in time, they say, saves nine.

BY DANIEL OTSIN, TUTOR, ENCHI COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, ENCHI, WESTERN NORTH.

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