The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Kofi Davis, issued a directive earlier this week instructing regional and district education directors to revoke the appointments of teachers who were recruited and posted after December 7 but have not yet been placed on the payroll.

This directive has sparked a backlash from the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), with its President, Reverend Isaac Owusu, describing the move as a misinterpretation of the Chief of Staff’s original directive.

Reverend Isaac Owusu strongly argued that the directive from the Chief of Staff did not extend to teachers who were yet to be placed on the payroll, only those recruited after December 7. He criticized the GES directive as misleading and inconsistent with the original instruction.

“The Chief of Staff’s directive given to heads of institutions was that all recruitment that was done after the seventh December election. So, if the Director-General of GES is saying that workers who have been recruited but are yet to be placed on the payroll if we don’t take care of, this directive is going to pile unnecessary pressure on the district and regional directors of education. Because, in the first place, recruitment and appointment are not done at the district level, neither is it done at the regional level. All recruitments and appointments are done at the GES headquarters.”
Reverend Isaac Owusu President of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT)

He emphasized that the directive to regional and district education directors to revoke appointments that they had no hand in processing is problematic.

Clarity and Absence of a Master List

A major concern raised by Reverend Owusu is that the directive lacks clarity yet is replete with ambiguities.

“What surprises some of us is that even the Director-General’s directive did not [come] with a master list of those teachers who fall victim to the situation. So, a teacher that has been recruited for the past six months who is yet to be put on the payroll— are you saying that such a teacher is also included?”
Reverend Isaac Owusu President of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT)

He expressed concern that the directive could lead to confusion and wrongful termination of appointments, further complicating matters for education officials who are expected to enforce it.

Call to Reconsider the Decision

Reverend Owusu is urging the Director-General of GES to reconsider the directive and provide clearer guidelines.

“The Director-General should rethink his directive and come clear. If he specifically wants to revoke the appointment of teachers that were recruited after December 7, then Director General, please, then kindly engage your two deputies and the HR to help you with the master list.’’
Reverend Isaac Owusu President of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT)

He argued that without proper consultation and transparency, the directive could lead to disputes and industrial unrest.

“As it stands now, the content of the directive is ambiguous, and I am admonishing the Director-General to take a critical look at it once again to at least stabilize industrial peace.”
Reverend Isaac Owusu President of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT)

He warned that if affected teachers submit petitions, GNAT would take all necessary actions to safeguard their employment status.

“All such teachers who would fall victim, if we receive petitions from their outfit, then as a leader of the Teacher Union GNAT, I will not sit down for such teachers rights to be trampled upon. The reason why workers join trade unions is for their social and economic interests to be protected by the union they belong to.”
Reverend Isaac Owusu President of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT)

He further called on the Director-General of GES to be more transparent in his decision-making process and to engage all relevant stakeholders before implementing such far-reaching policies.

The directive issued by the Director-General of GES has raised significant concerns among teachers and education stakeholders. GNAT, through its president, has strongly opposed the move, arguing that it deviates from the Chief of Staff’s original instruction.

With no clear master list provided and ambiguity surrounding which teachers are affected, Reverend Owusu is calling on GES leadership to clarify the directive and engage relevant stakeholders to ensure fairness in its implementation. If left unaddressed, this situation could lead to industrial unrest within the education sector.