The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Education Committee, Dr Clement Apaak has called on government to be proactive in resolving the strike action being embarked on by the various teacher unions.

Making reference to government stance that the country’s economy is not on its ‘knees’, the lawmaker asked the Akufo-Addo-led administration to prioritise the education and health sector.

In his view, these sectors are critical to the human resource development of the country.

“So whatever meagre resources remain, I will urge government to make those available to resolve this matter as soon as possible so that teaching and learning cannot be disrupted as we are currently experiencing.

“Else it is going to be detrimental in the medium to long term if this strike action prolongs and the teachers refuse and stick to their legitimate demands as the law grants them to use to get what they believe they are owed by the state,” he said on Tuesday.

On Monday, the leadership of various teacher unions in the Pre-Tertiary Education Sector embarked on an indefinite strike due to government’s failure to grant them a 20% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) amidst the current high inflation rate and increase in the price of goods and services, among others.

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show, Dr Apaak said although government could have averted the industrial action, it is time to calmly engage the leadership of various teacher unions to ensure that they are at post.

“We can only intercede and plead because the teachers have a case. Clearly, government has failed to be proactive and preemptive so ultimately government must bear the blame.

“We shouldn’t have gotten to where we are but we are here so what can be done is to plead that the teachers should have mercy on the pupils and the students while we trust and hope that government will do the needful,” he added.