Teacher unions have urged the Deputy Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Anthony Boateng, to decline contract extension by President Akufo-Addo.

According to the unions, the weekend has been “inundated with concerns and agitations” by the rank and file of education workers and pre-tertiary education and other stakeholders on the issue of post retirement contract extension to the Deputy Director General of Education and also the stay in office of other retired persons in education and the Ghana Education Service.

The teachers unions called on the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service to direct all retired persons in the GES to hand over immediately to the next in line and proceed on their compulsory retirement.

“The leadership of the unions and pre-tertiary education have assessed the situation and concerns and call on the former Deputy Director of GES Mr Anthony Boaten to respectfully decline the offer from the President and the Ministry of Education.”
Teachers Unions

The unions which include the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT-Ghana) and Teachers & Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) iterated the need for officers who are due for retirement to vacate their post.

They indicated that if by 30^th September, 2022, such persons are still at post, “we will call on our members to disregard directives” issued by these persons.

NAGRAT cautions against extension of contract

Meanwhile, the President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbornu, has cautioned government against the extension of the contract of the Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Anthony Boateng. He revealed that the extension was affecting morale within the service.

Mr Carbonu explained that some “teachers have even threatened to picket at the Ghana Education Service one of these days” on the matter. He indicated that the extension of the contract called into question the evaluation of personnel for internal promotions.

The NAGRAT President emphasized that, extension of contract “is supposed to be the job of the Ghana Education Service Council, not the Minister”. He insisted that the service must abide by Ghana’s retirement age laws.

“Why don’t we have a service where when you attain the age of 60, you just pack your bag and baggage and go… It looks as if the service is not very exact on how we handle these matters, and it is causing a lot of agitation. We are also already dealing with regional directors, and we wonder why the Ghana Education Service is not directing those regional directors [who have reached the retirement age] to hand over to the next in line.”
Angel Carbonu

President Akufo-Addo on August 19, 2022, granted an extension of contract of service of the Deputy Director-General (Management Services) of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Boateng for a year. Contained in a press statement signed by the Secretary to President Nana Bediatuo Asante, it disclosed that the service extension started on August 17, 2022, and expected to end on August 16, 2023.

The decision was made on the request of the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum. During the period of extension, Anthony Boateng will continue his current role and assist in the development of the Ministry’s National Education Institute as approved by Cabinet.