General News of Thursday, 26 October 2006

Source: GNA

NUGS gives ultimatum to GES/NAGRAT

Accra, Oct. 27, GNA - The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) on Thursday gave three days' ultimatum to the Ghana Education Service (GES) and National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) to resolve their impasse.

NUGS said: "NAGRAT, as a matter urgency, should return to the classroom to teach while the government impresses upon the GES and the National Labour Commission to open its doors for immediate and direct negotiations with NAGRAT within three days.

"If the three days ultimatum given the two parties elapse and none of the parties heeds to the calls, second cycle institutions and training colleges affected by the strike action should be closed down and students be made to go home."

A statement issued on Friday said NUGS took the decision to enable parents have direct control over their wards since the striking teachers no longer supervised the activities of students on campuses. "The union would advise itself should any of the parties fails to comply with the ultimatum."

It said NUGS was prepared to take any defaulting party to court for infringing on the constitutional rights of students to education and further holding parents and students of Ghana to ransom.