It’s been exactly 13 days since pre- tertiary teacher unions embarked on a strike over unpaid promotion arrears, delays in negotiating a new Collective Agreement, and the government’s failure to implement a promised 20% allowance for teachers working in deprived areas.

While about several engagements have happened between the unions and the government, the result remains the same as students continue to stay home while teachers remain outside of classrooms.

Speaking on the situation Deputy Education Minister, Dr Clement Apaak, has appealed to the aggrieved teachers to return to the classrooms while negotiations continue.

He acknowledged the teachers concerns expressing government’s commitment to addressing them. However he said,

“We will continue to supplicate. We are lying down prostrate. We are on our knees pleading with our teachers to come back to the classroom whilst we address their legitimate concerns”.

He continued that,

“It’s not a crime to plead. So as long as they are not in the classroom, we will continue to plead with them,” Dr Apaak said on Eyewitness News on Thursday, October 8.

Dr Apaak said the government recognised the importance of teachers and was working to resolve the outstanding issues while urging them to resume teaching.

“We are not antagonistic. We are not challenging their demands. We have not said anywhere that they are not justified,” he said.

He said the government was particularly concerned about the disruption to teaching and learning and would continue efforts to bring the strike to an end.

Dr Apaak declined to disclose the specific sticking points in the ongoing negotiations, saying it would not be appropriate for him to discuss details of the talks publicly while negotiations were still underway.

He, however, said the government expected progress on the issues, including the processing of promotion-related payments for affected teachers.