Semester calendar: “Come to the negotiation table” – GNAT tells GES

Semester

The General Secretary for Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Musah, has asked the Ghana Education Service to come to the negotiation table with respect to the newly introduced Semester calendar.

This statement by the educationist follows the introduction of a semester-based academic calendar for public Kindergarten, Primary, and Junior High Schools by the Ghana Education Service (GES)

According to the GES, the new system will reduce the workload on teachers and help decongest the various schools.

GES says the new system is as a result of a research that revealed that one of the causes of classroom absenteeism among teachers in the various schools was because some teachers sought to upgrade themselves.

This, According to the GES, is because the three-term system in the basic schools overlaps with the university system.

Read Also: GNAT calls for withdrawal of semester calendar for KG, Basic schools

Commenting on the new system in an interview with host of Atinka FM’s AM Drive, Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, Thomas Musah revealed that the semester system was put in place in 2019 together with the double-track system as an emergency measure as a result of the COVID-19.

He added that at no point in time did the GES state that there were plans to make it permanent.

According to Thomas Musah, if the GES deems it fit that the system should stay; it is only fair that the Teacher unions are consulted.

“If the GES wants to make the semester system permanent, they should come to the negotiation table. We are talking about the education unions, CSOs, parents, larger society and people in academia being given the opportunity to look at whether trimester in the basic education level is better,” Thomas Musah added.

Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu | [email protected]

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