Recurrent strikes threaten quality of education and academic calendars – Prof Bokpin

Economist and University of Ghana Business School Professor Gofred Bokpin has warned that recurrent labour strikes in Ghana’s education sector are undermining teaching time, academic calendars and the quality of graduates.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, he said Ghana had experienced significant disruptions in the health and education sectors every two to three years over the past 15 to 20 years, describing the trend as a major concern for a country seeking sustained socio-economic development.

Prof. Bokpin said lost instructional time could not be recovered, even when negotiations eventually led to the resolution of disputes.

He argued that industrial harmony in education was essential to developing human capital, improving labour quality and supporting national development.

Prof. Bokpin said the situation was particularly worrying for senior high schools operating under the Free Senior High School policy, where the double-track system and infrastructure constraints had already affected the time students spent in school.

He warned that further disruptions could compromise the quality of education, adding that students were not receiving the level of tuition they needed while the state continued to provide for their upkeep.

He also questioned the effectiveness of online learning as a substitute for classroom teaching when students on double-track arrangements returned home.

The economist said universities were facing uncertainty over their academic calendars, noting that the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) had announced a postponement of its next academic year’s reopening.

He said universities had worked to restore their academic calendars following the COVID-19 pandemic, but disruptions caused by industrial action were now creating further difficulties.

While acknowledging that teachers, lecturers and administrators had demands that needed to be addressed, Prof. Bokpin said the government must prioritise industrial stability in the education sector.

He argued that strikes often ended with negotiations and some concessions to workers, but the resulting loss of teaching time and productivity could not be reversed.

Prof. Bokpin also cautioned against pursuing fiscal discipline at the expense of social priorities, saying government spending decisions should reflect the country’s development aspirations and the needs of its people.

He urged the government to manage labour relations more effectively to protect the academic calendar and ensure that students receive quality education.