The President of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Rev Isaac Owusu, has asked government to supply the needed textbooks to pupils at the basic level before the end of the second semester.

Speaking in an interview on Top Story on Friday, Mr Owusu said although the government and the Ghana Publishers Association have spoken publicly concerning the release of the books, he wants them “to expedite their action.”

"If they are counting 120 days from this week, 120 days we are looking at 4 months ahead of us where we would be entering the third term of the academic year, where the entire academic year is coming to an end,” he explained.

Rev Isaac Owusu therefore appealed to the Education Ministry to “up their game to make sure that pupils get the textbooks before the close of the second term,” thus, before July.

This follows the Education Ministry urging the public to disregard assertions that government cannot supply basic schools with relevant textbooks for the new curriculum until 2024.

A statement issued by the Ministry on Friday, May 20 said the provision of the textbooks has only delayed but does not mean they would be available in 2024.

“That notwithstanding, a comprehensive Quality Assurance Review, coupled with the conclusion of all procurement processes by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), contracts have been signed and publishers have 120 days to complete their mandate from the day of signing,” the statement said.

Also, the President of the Ghana Publishers Association, Asare Konado Yamoah has confirmed that they have signed the contract and are set to deliver the textbooks within the allocated time frame.

Pupils from kindergarten to primary six are still without textbooks since the new curriculum was approved in 2019.

Rev. Owusu said the lack of textbooks and government’s refusal to pay capitation grants has crippled basic education.

“The new curriculum that was introduced in 2019 was ideally to come with its own textbooks that the teachers will use. It is not that GES or the Ministry of Education did a supply and there have been shortages, there hasn’t been any supply at all.

“So since 2019, from kindergarten to class six don’t have textbooks,” he lamented.