Colleges of Education Re-opening Date, Academic Calendar, and Matters Arising

0
Advertisement

The Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education, Ghana (PRINCOF) has already announced that the Colleges of Education will commence their new academic year on January 13th, 2025.

This was indicated in a letter dated November 14th, 2024, titled “Rescheduling of the Re-opening Date for the Colleges of Education for Level 100, 200, and 300.”

The colleges were initially supposed to resume on November 18th, 2024, but PRINCOF postponed the reopening due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

SEE ALSO: Colleges of Education Reopening Postponed to January

Academic Calendar

In the release, PRINCOF promised to publish a new academic calendar for the continuing students (Level 100, 200 & 300).

It should be noted that the promised calendar for the 2025 academic year is yet to be released.

Trainees are urged to remain calm as the affiliate universities and PRINCOF finalize the academic calendar for the year.

SEE ALSO: Mahama’s Education Policy: Will Teacher Licensure Exams Be Cancelled?

Issues with Trainees’ Allowance and Feeding Component

One of the alleged reasons for the postponement was the non-payment of the feeding grant by the government to the colleges.

Principals would have found it difficult to feed trainees as they owe their suppliers, who also intended to stop supplying them with items.

Sadly, information gathered reveals that the government still owes the feeding grant, which, if not paid, may affect the upcoming academic calendar.

Regarding trainees’ allowance, the government is yet to pay for the second semester of the 2023/2024 academic year.

Information available to us reveals that this amounts to four (4) months’ worth of arrears that the government must pay.

Trainees are demanding that the government pay these arrears before the start of the new academic year.

SEE ALSO: Mahama’s Education Policy: Will Trainees’ Allowances Be Scrapped?

CETAG Strike

The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has also issued an ultimatum to the government to fulfill promises made to them regarding the implementation of their staff migration and all-year-round work compensation as part of the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) directive.

CETAG has given the government until December 31st, 2024, to meet their demands.

In a recent release, CETAG stated that the employer is deliberately denying them their legitimate Compulsory Arbitration Awards for no justifiable reasons.

“We therefore wish to bring to the notice of the press and the general public that the Association (CETAG) will not continue to countenance the incessant violation of the economic rights of its members by the employer. We are, by this release, reminding the employer that if by December 31st, 2024, we do not see the NLC’s Compulsory Arbitration Awards being fully implemented and the associated monies reflecting in our members’ accounts, we shall advise ourselves and no amount of talks or interventions from any quarters shall get us to rescind our decision.”

SEE ALSO: Teachers in Colleges of Education to Embark on Indefinite Strike

Conclusion

The situation remains tense as the new academic year approaches, with unresolved issues surrounding funding, allowances, and teacher compensation, which may potentially impact the colleges’ operations if not resolved in time.

However, trainees are reminded that their reopening date, as communicated earlier by PRINCOF, is January 13, 2025.

SEE ALSO: Alleged reasons for PRINCOF’s postponement of the reopening date for Colleges of Education

Advertisement
4 4 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments