THE industrial harmony in the country is under threat, following the decision by the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) to abandon the classroom from Monday, March 1, 2010.
It has stated its reasons for the intended action, including the turning of deaf ears to teachers’ concerns over promotion interviews and the payment of maintenance allowances by the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES).
NAGRAT has expressed its frustration at the feet dragging on the issue by the educational authorities but the Ministry of Education has dismissed the basis for the strike, since, according to it, all NAGRAT grievances were being met.
In recent times, labour has been raising the red flag to remind employers that it is dissatisfied with their conditions of service.
The economy is showing signs of recovery after the turbulent times it went through last year but there is the need for more sacrifices from all sections of society if we are to keep our heads above water.
The days ahead will witness more worker agitation for improved conditions of service because of the rising prices of goods and services on the market.
The DAILY GRAPHIC does not intend to take sides in this tussle between NAGRAT and the educational authorities because both parties seem to have the force of argument backing their positions.
Nonetheless, we think it is inopportune to create the conditions for those in charge of the character formation of our youth to withdraw their services.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is aware that ends are competing for scarce resources, for which reason the government will be hard pressed for resources to meet the expectations of all segments of society.
Although we want to caution against any act that will thwart the efforts at economic reconstruction, the DAILY GRAPHIC reminds the educational authorities to keep faith with its social partners.
Looking at the steps that have been taken by NAGRAT, it appears it has followed the grievance procedure in arriving at its decision to withdraw its services.
We think that if NAGRAT carries out its intended action, the consequences will impact negatively on educational standards.
It is no longer tenable to ask the teacher to expect his/her reward in Heaven and so it will be a Herculean task to try to talk teachers into calling off their intended action for the sake of the students without concrete steps to meet their demands.
No matter which way one looks at the conditions of service of teachers, it cannot be disputed that over the last few years a lot has been done to improve their working conditions.
What has been done so far may not have met the expectations of teachers who, like other professionals, want to reap their rewards on earth, but we believe that the government will not relent in efforts at doing more for teachers within the constraints of the national economy.
Already, the government has increased the salaries of teachers and also introduced special incentives for those who accept posting to deprived communities.
The DAILY GRAPHIC can gauge the feelings of members of NAGRAT, other teachers and working people in general concerning the increasing difficulties they face in fending for themselves and their families.
However, we think the solution does not lie in the withdrawal of their services to students.
This approach is objectionable because it will aggravate the already precarious educational system and compound the educational budget of parents, the government and students who foot their own bills.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on the parties in dispute not to abandon the negotiation table but keep to dialogue until all outstanding matters have been resolved.
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