The leadership of the Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana (TTAG), has expressed concern about the impact of the 6-week old strike by the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana on academic performance.

Teachers in the 46 colleges of education started an indefinite strike in August over the government’s non-compliance to the National Labour Commission’s Arbitral Award Orders.

President of TTAG, Nana Kwame Jephthah, says the ongoing industrial action is hampering academic activities with a possible effect on students’ performance as many of them are presently idling on campus.

"The strike has thrown us into a dilemma where we have to deal with regular strikes from CETAG. The academic journey of teacher trainees has been marred by prolonged changes in the academic calendar. These recurrent disruptions have far-reaching consequences on academic progress," he said.

President of TTAG, Nana Kwame Jephthah

For six weeks now, teachers at the colleges of education have abandoned lecture halls to push the government to redeem its promise of implementing its negotiated conditions of service.

The indefinite strike is bringing academic activities on college campuses to their knees as many students idle about.

The repeated strikes have forced shifts in academic timelines, impeding the continuity of learning.

At its 27th Annual General Assembly, President of the Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana noted the strike could culminate in the dismissal of non-performing students as recorded in previous years.

"The strikes have led to instances of some students being dismissed due to non-performance in 2018. Meanwhile, the disarray in academic schedules has caused student fatigue and hindered their overall performance. Such interruptions also impact the meticulous planning and preparation required to nurture teacher trainees into the competent educators the society needs," he said.

Their concerns are compounded by the upgrade of the pass mark for the upcoming Licensure Examination from 50% to 70%.

The association maintains that a balanced minimum pass rate would provide a fair opportunity for all students while they demand preparatory logistics.

"Even though the NTC's commitment is to uphold excellence in the teaching profession as mandated by the Education Act 2008 (778), section 9 to improve professional standing, we firmly believe that a more balanced pass mark will not only maintain the exam's integrity. It will however provide deserving individuals with fair opportunity to pursue their chosen profession," he said.

Meanwhile, the Registrar of the National Teaching Council, Christian Addai Nimoh, says a crunch meeting with stakeholders is in the offing to address the concerns.

"The Education Ministry, the NTC and likely the TTAG will hold a meeting in the course of the week to know the next line of action. But regardless, I believe whether the pass mark is set at a high mark, the students will live up to expectation and pass successfully," he said.

Registrar of the National Teaching Council, Christian Addai-Poku

The annual general assembly was held under the theme “Shaping the Future of Teacher Training and Education: Prioritizing Infrastructural Development.”

The association called for urgent investment into enhancing infrastructural development.