The Polytechnic Teachers Association (POTAG) is refusing to call off its strike despite the partial closure of some polytechnics in the country.<\/p>\n
The authorities at the Kumasi Polytechnic have asked first and second year students to go home due to the ongoing strike which is in its second week.<\/p>\n
Per the laws establishing polytechnics in Ghana, the schools have to be shut down when students remain idle for 21 days.<\/p>\n
Some students especially, the final year students have been appealing to their lecturers to return to enable them complete school successfully.<\/p>\n
They have also appealed to the Education Ministry and the government to as a matter of urgency; address the concerns of the lecturers.<\/p>\n
But the situation is persisting and there seems to be no end in sight.<\/p>\n
The National President of POTAG, James Dugrah told Citi News<\/strong>, POTAG members will remain on strike until their demands are met.<\/p>\n He attributed their entrenched position on the matter to the absence of commitment on the part of government to resolve their issues.<\/p>\n \u201cIf government is committed to our welfare and our concern, we are also stakeholders and so we will reconsider our decision,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Government has scrapped the book and research allowances which were given to lecturers of tertiary institutions in Ghana.<\/p>\n It is consequently setting up a National and Innovation Research Fund to aid teaching and learning.<\/p>\n But university and polytechnic lecturers have kicked against the decision.<\/p>\n According to Mr. Dugrah, the decision is unfair and discriminatory \u201cbecause there is no national fund in Ghana here that you [government] has gone to that sector to freeze their allowances to set up that fund but for teachers, government is doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By: Efua Idan Osam\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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