We shall fiercely resist the semester calendar – Teachers Unions

We shall fiercely resist the semester calendar as the latest warning from teacher unions as the GES starts the implementation of the Semester calendar today. The teacher unions have indicated they were not consulted ahead of the introduction of the semester calendar system for pre-tertiary schools.
Four teacher unions (GNAT, TEWU, NAGRAT, CCT-GH) have therefore called on the managers of pre-tertiary education to withdraw the entire semester system for Kindergarten and Basic 1-9 learners and allow for wider consultation.
The unions have indicated that the unilateral decision of the GES will have to be shelved for now.
Speaking on the new semester calendar, the EduWatch have stated that they and other CSOs were not consulted by the GES as the GES wants the public to believe.
The teacher unions have disclosed that they will resist every attempt by the managers of pre-tertiary Education to change the status co from the trimester system to a semester system at the basic and secondary school levels.
The teacher unions further disclosed that as stakeholders, they were not consulted and that should the GES decide to go ahead with the system, they (unions) will respond in ways the GES cannot deal with.
Interview with CitiNews on “We shall fiercely resist the semester calendar posture by teacher Unions
Speaking in an interview with CitiNews, Mr. Thomas Musa, the General Secretary of GNAT said there will be repercussions if their calls are not taken into consideration.
“We have made it clear that if the Ghana Education Service refuse, I think they will be running difficult waters and the teacher unions will respond appropriately and I don’t want to believe they want to get us at that particular level where we will respond in a way they wouldn’t like…”
“…We believe they will do what is right. On behalf of the teacher unions, he called on the GES to go back to the status quo, while the new system is looked at holistically.”
In a related development, tertiary students of the various public universities have pleaded with the UTAG to call off their ongoing strike since the move by UTAG is delaying the start of the academic calendar.
READ: Basic 7 Weekly Lesson Plans for Wk1 – Semester 1 Downloads
According to the students, their budgets for the semester are already shrinking. They added that further delay in rolling out the semester and a possible extension after the industrial action will compel them to spend more on private hostels among other expenditures that come with university education.
The students have disclosed that their enthusiasm for the semester is also going down.
Source: Ghanaeducation.org