The low enrollment of non-teaching staff is a serious challenge to the country’s educational sector and threatens the successful implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has warned.
According to TEWU, the lack of kitchen staff, security, laboratory technicians, and librarians in educational institutions across the country is putting a strain on the remaining staff and could negatively impact the quality of education.
Currently, out of the 700 senior high schools in the country, the sector can only boast of less than 400 laboratory technicians, with some institutions not even having security personnel.
In an interview with Citi News, the National Chairman of TEWU-TUC, Mr. Ambrose Kwadzodza, called on the government to prioritize the non-teaching staff ratio. He also revealed that some kitchen staff are being abused, working over 12 to 14 hours daily.
“We have very low enrollment of staff now in Ghana Education Service and there is so much pressure in the Ghana Education Service. Instances are the kitchen staff, security staff, laboratory technicians, the library and all others.
“So we are telling the government that if they are not interested in developing the system to make it very effective then they should tell the world. There should be emphasis on non-teaching staff…Our cooks work over 12 hours to 14 hours a day which is excess of the normal working hours of an average worker,” he stated.
Mr. Kwadzodza also revealed that some district directors and heads of institutions will soon be hauled before the Labor Commission for denying mandatory leaves of some non-teaching staff.
He also charged the government to ensure that the mandatory health screening for kitchen staff and non-teaching staff enshrined in the condition of service is strictly adhered to
