The All Teacher Alliance Ghana (ATAG) has expressed shock at the position taken by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) National Association of Graduate Teachers (, (NAGRAT) and the Coalition for Concerned Teachers (CCT) on the appointment of Dr Eric Nkansah as the new Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed Dr Nkansah as the new Director-General of the GES to replace Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwah. The appointment took effect on Wednesday October 19, 2022.
“I take this opportunity to congratulate you formally on your appointment. Kindly indicate your acceptance or otherwise of this appointment within 14 days of receipt of this letter, ” a statement signed by the Executive Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante said.
But the NAGRAT,GNAT and CCT rejected the appointment.
The associations said the new appointee is a banker who has no background in teaching. Therefore, they are unhappy with his appointment.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday October 20, President of NAGRAT, Mr Angel Carbonou said teachers were hoping that a person who has background in education would be appointed in order to bring his or her expertise to bear.
This appointment is an indication that there are no qualified teaching professionals to man education in Ghana, he said.
Mr Carbonou indicated that they are annoyed and surprised by the appointment of Dr Nkansah.
He said “What annoyed and surprised all of us was that a new Director General has been appointed to the Ghana Education Service.
“The authority to appoint Director General of GES is the President of the land. Unfortunately, contrary to what the teacher unions indicated that, we will want a Director General who is a professional teacher, who has passed through the mill, who can bring his knowledge, skills and influence to bear on the activities of teachers and non-teachers in the GES.
“Contrary to that, the gentlemen who was appointed yesterday is not a teacher, he is banking officer, who was a special assistant in the office of the Minister and has been appointed as the DG of the GES. We are not happy with this development, it is as of we don’t have professionals and well educated people who have gone through the mill in education in this country to run education.”
But a statement issued by All Teachers Alliance Ghana (ATAG) said “We find it surprising that teacher unions led by their national officers were unable to conduct background checks and even determine whether this new DG qualifies using employability rather than suitability in this age of knowledge and research. Strangely, they are raising hell over Dr Nkansah’s appointment. Their raving is puzzling since they are disparaging the new DG’s character and giving the impression that he is unfit for the job.
“The reason these unions have raised concerns about Dr Nkansah’s hiring is that they claim he is not up to speed on the fundamentals of GES. The unions are acting primarily on impulse rather than factual evidence of intent.
“We consider their stance absurd and out of step with current logic and accountability. Their upset stem from the believe that Dr Nkansah is a political opportunist who is using the Minister of Education as a prop to rule over alleged “UNION OLD MEN.” Leaders of the three unions were repulsed by the new DG’s age, who is barely 45 years old, and they feel too haughty to be dictated to by a “YOUNG MAN.”
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“We consider Dr. Nkansah’s appointment to be proper and timely, and we base this judgment entirely on the fact that he is employable, not because of any perceived inadequacy. We think he has come to make room for smart, capable young teachers who have been excluded from power structures’ decision-making processes.
“He deserves our congratulations, and we admonish him to maintain his composure and ignore the everyday impulsive actions of GNAT, NAGRAT, and CCT-GH. When it’s convenient for them, they sing praises; when it’s not, hell must unleash. What connection do teacher unions have to the appointment of the DG? The nomination of DGs is not a matter for teacher unions to decide, and we find the three unions’ actions to be wholly inappropriate and reprehensible.”
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