GNAT, NAGRAT questions procedure of demoting two headmasters

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) have raised issues with the procedure under which the Ghana Education Service (GES) has punished two headmasters for flouting guidelines in the implementation of the free senior high school programme.

According to them, the GES did not follow due process in demoting the two heads by asking that they should be posted to a different school to teach in a classroom

The two demoted headmasters are Wisdom Blazu of the Pentecost SHS at Koforidua in the Eastern Region and Assistant headmaster of Daffour SHS, Rev S.P Eleworkor.

In a radio interview on Joy FM, the Vice President of NAGRAT, Mr. Angel Karbonu said there is institutionalised procedure that should be followed to sanction anybody working with the GES.

“The heads concern are workers of the Ghana Education Service and they are covered by the code of conduct and also condition of service of workers of the Ghana education service.”

“When somebody seems to have fallen foul to the rules and the regulations, the person is arraigned before a disciplinary committee and the person is given the opportunity to explain.”

He added the rules explain who should constitute the committee, including one person from the union that the member belongs to and the person should be allowed a legal counsel.

He argued that procedure was not followed.

“When did the free SHS begin, we are even in the process of fine tuning what the whole process of the policy is in the first place. The policy itself is full of challenges, which are being solved on daily basis”.

He was of the view that the question should be ‘what the money would be used for and if it was going into the individual coffers of the heads or the school’.

Read also: 2 headmasters demoted for charging fees

In a related development, the General Secretary of GNAT, David Ofori Acheampong has said the action by the GES Council was taken in a rush.

According to him, the affected headmasters could have been given a softer punishment instead of just demoting them which he believes could dent the image of the Service.

“I think GES really rushed in taking such a harsh decision. In cases like this, the best they could have done is hand them a softer punishment and if in the process they are found guilty, then harder punishment can follow else you can’t sack them just because of a mere allegation,” he told Accra-based Neat FM, Friday.