Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has expressed concern that the ongoing strike by teacher unions is adversely affecting the Ghana School Feeding Programme.

She said the closure of schools was not only disrupting teaching and learning but also putting perishable foodstuffs purchased by school feeding caterers at risk, while threatening the livelihoods of the caterers, about 95% of whom are women.

“If you've bought items, especially perishable goods, you realise that they will suffer around this time. And it also goes to affect the very income of the caterers, most of whom, about 95%, are women. And so, it has a ripple effect, and the implications of the strike don't look good. Not just for the teachers, but also the children and the Ghana School Feeding Programme. And so, we are making an appeal to them.”

Three pre-tertiary teacher unions — the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) — have declared a nationwide strike over unpaid promotion arrears and delays in negotiations with the government.

The development has led to the closure of public basic schools across the country as the Ministry of Education and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, on behalf of the government, negotiate with the striking teachers.

Speaking during a stakeholder engagement meeting for Directors of Education in the Ashanti and Western North regions in Kumasi, Dr Lartey urged the teachers to reconsider their position and return to the negotiating table.

“We will only appeal to our teachers, as you said, and that is the point we are trying to establish with all this training: the interrelatedness, the interlinkages. We don't operate in silos. When the teachers are not there, when the schools are not operating, you can't go and be feeding. And so, if you've bought items, especially perishable goods, you realise that they will suffer around this time. And it also goes to affect the very income of the caterers, most of whom are women, about 95%. And so, it has ripple effects and the implications of the strike don't look good.”

Dr Lartey urged the striking teacher unions to prioritise the welfare of children and pursue a lasting, mutually beneficial resolution with the government.

“There's no issue that has ever arisen, and nobody has been able to jaw-jaw and, you know, there's been no solution. I will only appeal to them to go back to negotiation, having their welfare and the welfare of the nation at large in mind, so that we can find a lasting solution. I know the government, on its part, is also very committed to making sure that we find a solution to this current situation. At the end of the day, all of us should- it should be a win-win situation, and that is what we look forward to.”