The Ghana Education Service (GES) has reacted to purported introduction of prescribed uniform for public school teachers in the country.
According to the Service, it is not introducing any uniform for teachers contrary to pictures of some individuals in brown uniforms circulating on social media.
Responding to the pictures making rounds, the Director General of GES, Professor Akwasi Opoku Amankwa, denied such introduction of prescribed uniforms on social media calling it fake news.
He said “GES is not a mushroom agency. It’s the largest Government agency in Ghana. We employ more than half of all Government employees. If we want to introduce uniforms for teachers we won’t do that through social media and over the weekend.”
He said the Service is considering investigating as to whether those individuals in the purported uniforms are teachers or non teaching staff of GES who decided to have photoshop.
“I guess it’s some group of teachers who’ve decided to have a uniform. Or it could even be photoshop. We may have to look for those in the pictures to first find out if indeed they’re teachers and if they’re what’s their motivation for the uniform.
“In this era of unionized labour GES cannot introduce a uniform for teachers without engaging the teacher unions.
Issues relating to who pays, government or individuals for the fabric, etc. would all have to be discussed.”
The Director General noted that in case the Service intends to introduce a prescribed uniform it would be officially announced.
“Any national project of this kind may have to be announced and possibly launched OFFICIALLY,” he said.
Below is the Director-General’s response:
DIRECTOR GENERAL OF GES, PROF. AKWASI OPOKU AMANKWAA WRITES:
I’ve seen these pictures of some purported GES teachers in a prescribed uniform for work circulating.
GES is not a mushroom agency. It’s the largest Gov’t agency in Ghana. We employ more than half of all Gov’t employees. If we want to introduce uniforms for teachers we won’t do that through social media and over the weekend. I guess it’s some group of teachers who’ve decided to have a uniform. Or it could even be photoshop. We may have to look for those in the pictures to first find out if indeed they’re teachers and if they’re what’s their motivation for the uniform.
In this era of unionized labour GES cannot introduce a uniform for teachers without engaging the teacher unions.
Issues relating to who pays, govt or individuals, the fabric, etc. would all have to be discussed.
Any national project of this kind may have to be announced and possibly launched OFFICIALLY.
Thank you!.
