The Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana (TTAG) has petitioned Parliament to intervene in the Colleges of Education Teacher Association Ghana (CETAG) strike, which has entered its fifth day, leaving students with less than three weeks to complete their semester.

Speaking on GHOne TV, the President of the Trainees’ Association of Ghana, Soale Razak explains the rationale behind the association’s decision to petition Parliament, highlighting the need for the minister’s update on the strike action

“There has been a petition to Parliament on one of our four sectors within our distance. We see it is very prudent that the minister is invited to the Parliament House to update us all as to the headway to the strike action because the strike has entered its fifth day and it’s really not helping us as students across all year groups from level 100 to level 400.”

Mr. Razak expresses his frustration and concern over the lack of progress in resolving the strike, which has left students in a precarious situation with the semester’s timeline under threat:

“With level 400 feeling the heat match because we have been receiving assurances from all stakeholders of government including the Ministry of Education about progress being made and then the strike will be brought to a resolution as soon as possible.

“But from where we sit and how we look at things happening, we are still not happy and we are by the turn of events because right now the time frame for us to vacate or complete the semester which is scheduled to end on September 7th is almost closed,” he added.

Mr. Soale Razak clarifies the association’s position on the petition and reiterates their call for the government to implement the arbitration awards, which he believes will pave the way for the teachers to return to the classroom

“We have less than three weeks to this set time and we have not even written our mid-semester and then end-of-semester examinations putting us at a very tight corner with no clear way to resolution and then we still have our teachers at the other end saying the one full implementation of the arbitration awards before they will be calling off the strike.

He expresses optimism about the potential for a resolution, citing a key concession from CETAG.

“But from where we sit, we feel the headway has been provided by CTAG by saying “the one full implementation of the arbitration award which we are edging and appealing to government to first start and implement these awards so that our teachers will be called back to their classroom and then academic work will begin.”

Mr. Soale Razak provided an update on the association’s actions and expectations, including their request for the Vice President’s intervention and their anticipation of a response from Parliament after its recess.

“Yes, like I was making my point at a fair distance I think I should make this clarification clear to everyone watching because the petition that got to Parliament didn’t come from the board of CTAG because we operate as a team and then before we take an action it has to be coming from the association.”

He continued: “But from the turn of events right now we are yet, even if we are to consider petitioning Parliament to intervene in the matter, what we have done is to write to our principals to take steps into closing the colleges and also we have equally requested for the intervention of the case by the Honorable Vice President to intervene and then seek a solution to what is currently going on.”

Razak provides an update on the expected response from Parliament.

“Currently we can say Parliament is on leave and then it will reconvene, Parliament will reconvene on September 3rd, so, in any case, we should be expecting a response after Parliament resumes.”

As the trainees’ petition makes its way through Parliament, they remain steadfast in their determination to see their education through. Will their efforts pay off, or will the strike continue to hold them back?