The National Council of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) staged a dramatic walkout during a meeting with Deputy Education Minister, Prof. Kingsley Nyarko. The protest was in response to the government’s failure to fulfill its 2021 promise to provide each teacher with a laptop, despite deducting 30% from teachers’ salaries for the “One Teacher One Laptop” initiative.
During the annual GNAT national council meeting in Kumasi, frustration reached a boiling point as members booed the Deputy Minister and chanted, “Away! Away! No laptop no council meeting!” The protest led to the disruption of the meeting’s opening ceremony.
Teachers across Ghana are increasingly frustrated, with over 50,000 of their colleagues still waiting for their laptops. This situation has led to significant disruptions in teaching and learning, especially in remote areas where teachers struggle without necessary technology. The national curriculum is designed for digital use, making the absence of laptops a severe hindrance.
In May, GNAT, along with two other teacher unions, went on strike demanding improved conditions. The National Labour Commission had set a deadline for the government to deliver the laptops by the end of June. However, as of July 22, the laptops remain undelivered. Sarfo Sarpong, District Chairman of GNAT-Afigya Kwabre, highlighted the ongoing issue, stating, “Over two and a half years now, some of our members haven’t received their laptops. Mainly some teachers at the kindergarten, education officers, Arabic teachers, and some primary school teachers.”
Local GNAT leaders have faced hostility from frustrated teachers. Evans Temetey, District Chairperson for Manya Krobo, criticized the government’s approach, noting the irony of students receiving tablets while teachers are left without essential tools. “Some teachers have to do this manually. We claim to be digitalizing, what about the teaching space?” he remarked.
The situation has even led to near attacks on local leaders by agitated teachers. One district chairperson shared an incident where teachers confronted him during BECE monitoring, demanding their laptops. “It is really embarrassing to have someone who has only spent four years in the teaching profession insult me, who has been in this for close to two decades,” he lamented.
GNAT has issued a one-week ultimatum for the government to start distributing the remaining laptops. The delay in fulfilling this promise continues to impact the education sector, and teachers are demanding immediate action to address the issue.
Source: GhanaFeed.Com