 has given the government a two-week ultimatum to take decisive action following the alleged assault of teachers by military personnel in the Western Region.){kind=link}
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has given the government a two-week ultimatum to take decisive action following the alleged assault of teachers by military personnel in the Western Region.
The incident, which reportedly involved officers from the 2nd Infantry Battalion stationed at Apremdo in Takoradi, has sparked outrage among teachers, particularly in the Wassa West District where victims claim they were assaulted and subjected to humiliation.
GNAT General Secretary Thomas Tanko Musah described the development as part of a troubling trend of attacks against teachers across the country. According to him, educators are increasingly facing threats not only from students and parents but now also from members of the security services.
“For us as GNAT, our motto always stands, ‘We live to teach.’ However, it looks like some stakeholders are becoming a stumbling block on our way,” he stated.
“These students, some of them have been beating teachers. Some parents also go to schools and beat teachers. And now the military people too have joined the beating,” he added.
Mr. Musah warned that the situation raises serious concerns about the safety of teachers, questioning the state’s ability to guarantee their protection.
“And we are telling ourselves that if the state cannot protect us, then we are not safe,” he said.
GNAT is demanding that the Ministry of Education Ghana and the Ghana Education Service take immediate steps to address the issue. The union is calling for the payment of medical bills for affected teachers, adequate compensation, and sanctions against those found culpable.
Mr. Musah noted that the victims have formally reported the incident to the police and are cooperating with ongoing investigations.
He cautioned that failure by authorities to act within the stipulated timeframe would compel the union to resort to industrial action.
“If the powers that be fail to act, nobody should underestimate our actions,” he warned.
“That means strikes, demonstrations, and every option under the Constitution is on the table. We will deploy them as and when necessary.”