The Coalition of Private School Teachers, Ghana (CPTS-Ghana) has accused the Akufo-Addo government of denying them a decent livelihood as well as denying Ghanaian children their right to education.

This comes on the back of President Akufo-Addo announcement in his 16^th address on the Covid-19 pandemic that in consultation with the Ghana Education Service (GES), the remainder of the academic year for all nursery, kindergarten, primary, and JHS 1 and SHS 1 students has been postponed to 2021.

In response to the President’s statement, the CCPTS-Ghana said: “We reject the reasons for denying the Ghanaian children their constitutional rights to education for almost one year and the right of private school teachers to work to earn decent livelihoods".

They bemoaned the fact that the government considered schools to be unsafe "for the Ghanaian child to develop his or her careers" during a time when active cases in Ghana at the time of the President's "last address was less than 1200 and all businesses including drinking spots, market places, churches etc. were reopened business.

According to them, this news comes as no surprise to them after hearing rumours that government has no money to sponsor the Free SHS programme, and this, they believe has compelled the government to postpone the reopening of schools until 2021.

The CPST-Ghana also lamented the silence of political parties, opinion leaders, the media, as well as civil society organizations concerning their plight and that of the Ghanaian child.

“The silence of all political parties, religious leaders, the media, civil society organizations etc. to this issue is a clear attestation to the fact that Ghana as a country does not prioritize the education of our children and if indeed it is true that we reap what we sow, then posterity will be a better judge,” they said.

According to the CPTS-Ghana, they will not embark on any venture (including their scheduled demonstration which was to take off on September 22) that will put their members at the mercy of the law or police brutality, instead they will take their troubles to the Lord in prayer.

They stated: “For us as teachers in the private sector, all we say is that if indeed we are being denied our decent livelihoods and the Ghanaian child is taken out of the classroom for almost a year just for political expediency, the Bible has said that vengeance is the Lord's. This battle is indeed the Lord's.”

They were intrigued at the fact that Italy which was badly hit by the novel coronavirus will be fully reopening schools by September 14 and found no justification for the delay in reopening schools in Ghana, which has not suffered the attendant effect of the virus in the same proportions as other countries have.

They are therefore urging all private school teachers, individuals or institution whose business has been affected by the Coronavirus restrictions to join the CPTS-Ghana “to fight this battle on our knees...for God to exact judgment, if indeed the poor private school teachers, school-related businesses and the Ghanaian children deserve what we have been served with.”

The Coalition of Private School Teachers further advised its members to send a word of caution to relatives “to think twice and take with a pinch of salt when a politician offers anything for FREE.”