The Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, has called on members of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) to resume teaching duties following the payment of all outstanding research and book allowances.

Speaking at the investiture ceremony of Professor Prince Boateng as the new Principal of Ada College of Education, Professor Jinapor confirmed that the Ministry of Finance has released funds to settle the owed allowances.

He assured CETAG members that they would be able to access their payments through the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System starting Monday, July 15, 2024.

"GTEC is currently collaborating with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to ensure that all staff are appropriately placed on the salary scheme," Professor Jinapor stated. He emphasized that the government has disbursed a total of over 199 million Ghana cedis to CETAG members, addressing their primary grievance.

The call to return to the classroom follows CETAG's indefinite strike declaration on June 14, 2024. The strike, which affects all 46 public colleges of education across Ghana, was initiated in response to the government's delay in implementing the National Labour Commission’s Arbitral Award Orders and other negotiated service conditions.

CETAG's demands include the payment of one month’s salary for additional duties performed in 2022 and the application of agreed rates of allowances payable to public universities for CETAG members.

The association has stressed that these payments are crucial for safeguarding the economic rights of its members, as protected under Article 24(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and Section 10 (a) and (b) of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).

In a statement issued on June 14, CETAG emphasized the importance of upholding these legal and constitutional protections, urging its members to withdraw from teaching and related services until their demands are met.

"CETAG calls on every member to immediately comply with this declaration by withdrawing teaching and related services indefinitely across all 46 public colleges of education until all the orders arising from the Compulsory Arbitration Awards and related concerns are fully implemented by way of payments to our members and implementations thereof," the statement read.

With the payment of allowances now confirmed, it remains to be seen whether CETAG members will heed Professor Jinapor's call and return to the classrooms, thus bringing an end to the disruption in the nation’s colleges of education.