Teacher union to oppose non-teachers GES directors appointment

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) in the subsequent academic years says it will oppose the appointment of individuals not a member of the teaching fraternity to head the Ghana Education Service (GES).

President of the Association of Graduate Teachers, Angel Carbonu speaking at the launch of the 2023 Ghana Teacher Prize (GTP) Award said Teacher unions in the country will not support such appointments in the future.

“We will quickly put this before the Minister to see why people think they cannot belong to this fraternity but have the impetus to superintend over us who belong to this fraternity.

You either belong to us or go and join whoever you want to go and join. The next time there is a similar statement, we will be very emphatic that we will not work with anybody who does not want to be part of this fraternity because I cannot go to the hospital to superintend over the work of the medical doctor or the nurses,” he said at the launch.

Angel Carbonu’s comment comes after the central government appointed Dr Eric Nkansah with a banking background as the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in replacement of Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwah.

Describing Mr. Eric’s appointment as unfortunate and untenable, the National Council of the Association of Teachers gave the central government up to November 4, 2022, to terminate the contract of the new Director-General.

Citing why Dr Nkansah with a banking background cannot head the Ghana Education Service, the National Teachers said the position of the Director General of GES has been the preserve of educationists and must remain as such.

“Council found the replacement of Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa with Dr. Eric Nkansah, the banker, as both unfortunate and untenable. In the circumstance, therefore, Council calls for the revocation and subsequent appointment of an Educationist to occupy that office, by November 4, 2022,” the Ghana National Association of Teachers said.