CAPCOE, led by its Convenor Mr. Richard Kwashie Kovey, has recently raised concerns about the delayed promotion of in-service teachers who have completed degree programs but have not been upgraded to their appropriate ranks within the Ghana Education Service (GES).
Mr. Kovey has made a strong appeal to the GES, urging them to address this issue and promote diploma-holding in-service teachers who have advanced their education to the degree level. The denial of GES promotions has become an increasing concern.
Mr. Kovey pointed out that numerous teachers who completed the three-semester degree top-up program, jointly offered by the University of Cape Coast and the GES, have been denied the rank of principal superintendent—a rank typically awarded to degree holders within the service.
This denial has emerged as a significant concern, impacting the morale of many teachers who were initially motivated to enhance their qualifications through a formal agreement between GES, teacher unions, and the University of Cape Coast.
Understanding the Agreement
Prior to the upgrade of Ghana’s Colleges of Education to degree-awarding institutions, the GES and teacher unions collaborated with the University of Cape Coast to enable diploma-holding in-service teachers to pursue degree programs.
The aim was to help these teachers meet the new employment standards established by GES. Under this longstanding agreement, teachers who completed their degrees were to be promoted to the rank of principal superintendent upon resuming their duties.
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However, despite successfully completing their degree programs, many teachers are now facing roadblocks. District, municipal, and metropolitan directors of education have reportedly rejected requests for upgrading their ranks, which Mr. Kovey describes as both surprising and unjust.
Unfair Promotion of New Graduates
Adding to the frustration is GES’s recent decision to open recruitment for the first batch of four-year degree graduates from Colleges of Education. These recruits will automatically be placed at the rank of principal superintendent, putting them ahead of their in-service colleagues who obtained the same degree in 2023 and are still waiting for promotions. This discrepancy has led CAPCOE and other education stakeholders to label the situation as “unfortunate and unfair.”
Mr. Kovey stressed that this practice threatens to demoralize teachers who have already been working under challenging conditions. The unfair treatment could potentially dampen their passion and commitment to the profession.
CAPCOE’s Appeal for Industrial Harmony
In response to the growing unrest, CAPCOE is calling on GES to ensure fairness by compiling a list of teachers who have completed the three-semester top-up degree program from the University of Cape Coast, as well as those who obtained degrees from other recognized universities. CAPCOE insists that these teachers should be automatically placed at the rank of principal superintendent, ahead of the new recruits, to ensure industrial peace.
This is a matter of justice and fairness,” Mr. Kovey stated, emphasizing the need for GES to honor its commitment to the professional growth and development of in-service teachers.
Conclusion
The GES is now faced with the challenge of addressing the grievances of in-service teachers who have worked tirelessly to upgrade their qualifications and meet the new standards of the profession. Failure to do so could lead to widespread dissatisfaction and undermine the overall morale within the education sector.
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This is very unfair and a breach of trust. Teachers must go on strike for this wickedness meted out to them.
That strike is long overdue