The Coalition of Concerned Teachers has threatened to get its members to lay down their tools if the government fails to increase their salary by Friday, July 2.

The Chairman of the group, Kingsley Anyimadu Darko, speaking to JoyNews said the high cost of living is affecting them.

 “We are giving the government up to Friday, the 2nd of July, 2021, to conclude all negotiations and pay teachers what is due us as soon as practicable. Teachers will lay down their tools, if these demands are not met with alacrity,” he said.

He said the government has failed to adjust their salaries, although, “there have been a persistent increase in fuel, rent, utilities, building material, spare parts prices and general cost of living,” which is making their remuneration, insufficient.

The teachers also called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to clarify issues concerning the results of promotional examination released recently.

According to Kingsley Anyimadu, any unsatisfactory explanation will lead to the boycott of all promotional examinations going forward.

“The release of the results have brought fear and panic within the teaching fraternity. Affected teachers have tried to get proper clarification from the GES as to why within a matter of 24 hours, GES has to make a U-turn over an earlier communique issued,” he said.

The group also wants the Education Service to halt the intended conduct of re-sit examinations for the affected teachers until the outstanding issues are resolved.

“If these issues are not addressed, teachers will boycott all promotion examinations and this will not augur well for the forward march of the GES,” he stated.

Mr Anyimadu said successive governments have failed to pay responsibility allowances to teachers, alleging that the government has neglected basic schools in the disbursement of capitation grants.

“Successive governments have paid lip service to the welfare of teachers, the current government has refused, and I repeat, refused to increase teachers' salary for the 2021 academic year and there is no hope that that of 2022 will be increased,” Mr Anyimadu said.

The Teachers also raised concerns about the Free SHS policy as they claim most schools are resource-constrained, unable to feed students because the government has failed to release funds timely.

Mr Anyimadu said the situation is affecting teaching and learning, hence the need for some attention.