The National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NC-PTAs), Ghana, has declared its support for striking pre-tertiary teacher unions and called on President John Mahama to intervene urgently to resolve the dispute and allow schools to resume normal academic activities.

The Council said the teachers' demands were legitimate, citing delayed promotions, unpaid arrears, the implementation of revised collective agreements and a 20 per cent deprived-area allowance among the issues that had led to the industrial action.

In a solidarity statement issued on Wednesday, September 30, under the theme “No Nation Can Rise Above the Welfare and Quality of Its Teachers”, the NC-PTAs said years of unfulfilled promises and abandoned memoranda of understanding (MOUs) had eroded teachers' trust in government assurances.

It said that the strike should be understood not only as a labour dispute but also as a crisis affecting parents, families and pupils across the country.

“The NC-PTAs - Ghana stands in full solidarity with pre-tertiary teacher unions. Their demands are legitimate and justified. No nation can rise above the welfare and quality of its teachers,” the statement said.

The council maintained that resolving the dispute required urgent action by the government to address the concerns of teachers and restore teaching and learning in public schools.

The NC-PTAs said the industrial action had been fuelled by what it described as a credibility deficit between teachers and the government.

According to the Council, repeated assurances without the full implementation of agreements had weakened confidence in efforts to resolve teachers' grievances.

“Despite assurances from the government, there is a deep credibility deficit. Years of unfulfilled promises and abandoned MOUs have left teachers with no option but to strike for their bread and butter issues,” the statement said.

The parent-teacher association said teachers should be treated as a vital national resource rather than a financial burden on the state.

“The Ghanaian teacher is a national asset we must protect, not a cost on the national purse,” the statement said.

It added that investment in teachers' welfare was essential to the country's security and future prosperity.

“Investment in teacher welfare is not expenditure - it is national security and future prosperity,” the council stated.

The NC-PTAs said that teachers' working conditions and welfare had implications for the quality of education delivered to children, making the resolution of their concerns a matter of national importance.

It called on the government to go beyond assurances and take practical steps to meet its obligations to teachers.

Read also: Until we see concrete action, we will stay home – Striking teachers