The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed the immediate Suspension of the GES -SIC Insurance Policy deductions from the Salaries of its Staff by the Controller and Accountant Generals’ Department (CAGD).
The GES has said that the Challenges concerning the deductions have been due to lack of Education and Sensitization of its Staff,and have apologized to its Staff for theit unfortunate experiences.
In a statement issued by the Ghana Education Service on Wednesday, June 27,2018 ,the Ghana Education Service indicated that the full details of the Scheme ,which was a joint effort with government to provide insurance cover for its Staff has been released to all members through their respective Unions.
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According to the GES, it’s decision to suspend the deductions was in expectation that all of its staff shall go through the details of the scheme in other to appreciate the Scheme and contribute their inputs to better the Programme.
The GES has emphasized that the GH¢10 deducted will be refunded to members who might wish to opt out of the Scheme.
Meanwhile, Majority of its Staff, including teachers, have registered their displeasure about the deductions, criticising their Union leaders for being negligible, a situation that has compelled them to disassociate themselves entirely from the Scheme.
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But the statement issued by the Ghana Education Service clearly shows that the GES was not in anyway ready to quit the GES -SIC Insurance Policy Program, but was rather ready to allow members to willingly opt out of the program.
The Teachers earlier indicated that the procedure to undergo before they can opt out was cumbersome, a situation they described as very intimidating.
The GES in its earlier Statement concerning the Policy, indicated categorically that the Unions were in agreement to the decision,.
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Meanwhile, the Unions in response to the allegations from their members claimed they weren’t part of that decision.
This has been the second time a statement has been issued and the Teacher Unions denying of being part of the final decisions being taken by government agencies who were stakeholders of major decisions affecting teachers.
The first one was a decision by the National Teaching Council (NTC) to charge Final year Teacher Trainees GH¢220 Licensure Examination Fees of which the Teacher Unions obliged, saying they were not at the meeting that proposed such amount.
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It has become a matter of debate as to whether the Teacher Unions have been sidelined in major stakeholder decisions or whether the Government seems to devalue the very essence of the establishment of Teacher unions ,Since it no longer wait for their submission before implementating stakeholder decisions.
Source :EducationGhana.net