President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, has rejected the appointment of Dr Eric Nkansah as the new Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

According to him, the association is unhappy about Dr Nkansah’s appointment because he has no experience in the position he has been appointed to oversee.

Addressing a press conference today, October 20, 2022, Mr Carbonu revealed that teachers were anticipating a person with a background in education who understands matters within the sector. He indicated that contrary to expectations, “the gentlemen who was appointed yesterday is not a teacher, he is a banking officer, who was a special assistant in the office of the Minister and has been appointed as the DG” of the GES.

“What annoyed and surprised all of us was that a new Director General has been appointed to the Ghana Education Service. The authority to appoint Director General of GES is the President of the land. Unfortunately, [this is] contrary to what the teacher unions indicated, that we will want a Director General who is a professional teacher, who has passed through the mill, who can bring his knowledge, skills and influence to bear on the activities of teachers and non-teachers in the GES.”
Angel Carbonu

The President of NAGRAT pointed out that the association is “not happy with this development”. He highlighted that the appointment of the new Director-General to some extent reveals that “we don’t have professionals and well educated people who have gone through the mill in education in this country to run education”.

Appointment of new Director-General of GES

It will be recalled that President Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, appointed Dr Eric Nkansah, as the new Director-General of the GES. Congratulating Dr Nkansah on his appointment, the President requested he indicates his “acceptance or otherwise” of the appointment within 14 days of receipt of the letter.

The appointment of the new Director-General for GES comes two days after Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa was relieved of his post.

A letter signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, thanked him for his service to the nation and wished him the “very best in future endeavours”. It noted that the Ministry of Education informed the Office of the President that the exigencies that required Prof Opoku-Amankwa’s skills and expertise do not exist any longer.

Following this, the President instructed that Prof Opoku-Amankwah’s secondment be terminated forthwith, and he is to return to his position at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

In July this year, Prof Opoku-Amankwa disclosed that his outfit was undertaking a unit cost analysis on each student under the Free Senior High School policy. This, he explained, was going to help determine which of the cost components the government can be relinquish for parents of students to handle.

The former GES Director-General noted that the review has been proposed and not really started or ended yet.