The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has urged parliament to summon the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum to address recent power outages in schools nationwide.
This call follows the disconnection of Accra Academy from the national power grid due to outstanding arrears amounting to approximately GHs480,000 owed to the Electricity Company of Ghana.
NAGRAT Vice President, Jacob Anaba, highlighted that Accra Academy is not the sole institution affected, citing Sunyani Senior High School and St. James Seminary in the Bono Region, which have encountered similar issues, including water challenges.
Mr Anaba contended that parliamentary intervention could lead to improvements in teaching and learning conditions within second-cycle institutions.
He expressed concern about the Ministry’s lack of proactiveness, emphasizing outstanding arrears for the third and fourth quarters.
Speaking on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM, Mr. Anaba stated, “The Ministry has not been proactive. For us to be owing the third quarter and fourth quarter, and we are not even talking about this year, then there is a serious problem. I will urge Parliament to invite the Minister to Parliament to explain to the Ghanaian public what is actually happening for us to get understanding”.
In response, the Education Ministry’s spokesperson, Kwasi Kwarteng, cast doubt on claims of power outages in some Bono Region schools. He suggested that NAGRAT should verify information before making such claims on a national platform like Joy FM.
Additionally, Kwarteng explained discrepancies in the Electricity Company of Ghana’s (ECG) accounting structure as a potential cause for Accra Academy’s disconnection.
He mentioned that payments, made at the national level, might not have been properly communicated to local offices, leading to the power cutoff on Monday, February 19.