It has been eight woeful months of financial drought for private school employees since the COVID-19 pandemic which led to the closure of schools in March 2020. For these teachers, it has been six months of promises to offer them assistance with nothing showing up so far.
In spite of the government’s firm promise in May, 2020, to assist small and medium scale businesses which include private schools through a COVID – 19 stimulus package meant for the schools, not a single school has received a dime. We have no idea when this promise will be fulfilled and even if indeed it will ever be met. Considering closely what we have been through over the period, the situation looks very dicey and gloomy. According to the 2019 Ghana Education Service EMIS statistics, of the estimated 36,574 private schools which can further be broken down as:
βNursery = 9188
βKG. =10452
βPrmary =10196
β JHS =6491
β SHS =247
Hence in Ghana, we are dealing with approximately 250, 000 employees and their dependents going hungry on daily bases through no fault of theirs. Clearly we are sitting on a ticking time bomb where patience of victims is running out.
What are we asking for? As fellow Ghanaians we’re modestly asking for the government to swiftly disburse the much talk about covid 19 stimulus package.
We are crying as loud as we can to our legislatures; MPs to demonstrate good leadership by heeding to the plight of the masses of employees of Private Schools to forward our grievances to Government in that regard for immediate action.
Any form of assistance that can alleviate the plight of these staff and their families, and help cushion them for Christmas will be cherished so much since it is clear that these employees cannot afford to spend Christmas with their families.
The government of the day seem to be adamant of the issues at stake hence have kept deaf ears to.
We are at our wits end with no light at the end of the tunnel. We need urgent aid as we see more families head to bed hungry on daily basis. The media has become our only option after several articles and petitions. Let the voices of the less previledge be heard.
Kris Josef Akubah.
Chairman,
GNAPS- Bolgatanga Chapter