General News

COVID-19: 94,000 teachers from 4,036 Schools risk losing their jobs in Ghana

13th May 2020

A total of ninety-four thousand (94,000) teachers from four thousand, and thirty-six (4,036) registered private schools in Ghana, risk losing their jobs, following the closure of educational facilities by the President.

This huge number of teachers are already idling at their various homes with no salaries at the end of the month. This was revealed by the Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools, Obenfo Nana Gyetuah, in an interview with Skyy Power Fm in Takoradi.

According to him, most of the private schools in the country are currently struggling in raising income to pay the salaries of their teachers due to the lockdown.

“The measures taken by the President have had a great blow to our activities. Most of our teachers are currently home with nothing on them to cater for their families. Most of the schools have even laid off some of their teachers because they are unable to pay their salaries now. We have written letters to the Government for assistance but we have not received any official response for now,” he indicated.

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The President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo yesterday announced an extension of the already existing ban on public gathering, to May 31, 2020. This will enable the government to contain the coronavirus outbreak which has infected close to five thousand of Ghana’s population. All educational facilities; both public and private, are also to remain closed. Obento Nana Gyetuah tells us, they were expecting the President to lift the ban on school closure to enable them to go back to school, but such was not the case.

“A week today, we were invited to the office of the Deputy Finance Minister on the way forward, and we presented a list of 94,000 teachers from 4,036 registered private schools who have been affected. The feedback was that the ban will be lifted so we go back to school, but we were shocked yesterday when the ban was further extended. Now SSNIT is also on us with pressure to pay the contributions of our teachers. But where is the money,” he queried.

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According to him, even though their expectations were not met, they are in full support of the President’s current decision to extend the ban on social gatherings.