Polytechnic students are beginning to bear the effects the three-week old strike of their teachers as some Polytechnics have asked their students to proceed on a compulsory recess.
The end of semester examinations has also been suspended indefinitely.
The Takoradi Polytechnic in the Western Region, Cape Coast Polytechnic in the Central Region and the Koforidua Polytechnic in the Eastern Region have all shut down after the teachers strike entered its third week this week.
The teachers are protesting the non-payment of their book and research allowance.
Government indicated its intention to scrap the payment of book and research allowance to tertiary institution lecturers last year.
In its stead it announced the setting up of a National Research Fund to support the conduct of researched by lecturers.
Hitherto, every lecturer received between $400 and %600 a year as book and research allowance.
The teachers have since protested the decision to replace the payment of the allowance.
The Polytechnics are to shut down per the Polytechnic Act which states that a school will be closed after 21 days of continuous strike.
A statement signed by the Registrar of the Takoradi Polytechnic, Sylvia Oppong-Mensah stated that students of the school were to vacate the school’s premises “with immediate effect”.
“All students would be informed as regards the continuation of the End-of-Semester Examinations”, the statement continued.
Meanwhile, Rector of the Cape Coast Polytechnic Professor Lawrence Atepor has appealed to government and the National Labour Commission to reach an amicable solution with the striking polytechnic teachers.
The school shut down per the Polytechnic Act on Monday. Speaking to Citi news, Professor Lawrence Atepor said “they should sit down and jaw-jaw and get this thing resolved because it is affecting all of us; the academic calendar, students and their parents”.
By: Eugenia Tenkorang/citifmonline.com/Ghana