GNAT Disassociates Itself from School Placement Scandal

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has issued a press statement disassociating itself from the school placement scandal uncovered by The Fourth Estate, an investigative journalism team. The scandal involved the sale of placements for senior high schools, and implicated some janitors and security personnel who were middlemen in the process.

 

The Public Relations Officer of the Education Ministry, Mr. Kwasi Kwarteng, was reported to have stated that the middlemen involved were not employees of the Education Ministry but of the GNAT Hostel. However, GNAT has vehemently denied this assertion, stating that it gave only its Bediako Conference Hall, not its hostel, to the Ghana Education Service (GES) for the placement exercise.

 

In its press statement, GNAT expressed dismay and disappointment at Mr. Kwarteng’s assertion, calling it “vexatious and repugnant” and aimed at tarnishing the image of the Association while absolving the Ministry of its own shortcomings. The Association emphasized that it was not involved directly or indirectly in the work of the placement staff, and none of its staff was incriminated in the scandal.

 

GNAT reiterated its commitment to working with the Ministry of Education to improve the education sector, but also stated that it would not condone comments and acts that are intended to tarnish its image. The Association demanded the publication of the Committee’s report on the school placement scandal, to assure the public of the Ministry’s continued commitment to upholding standards on the education front.

 

The GNAT also reaffirmed its stance to ensure that the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) does not compromise the placement system and eliminate the seeming corruption associated with it. The Association stated that its hallmark is excellence, and its commitment is to the welfare of Ghana’s learners, and it will not be intimidated in its pursuit of this commitment.

 

In conclusion, the GNAT called on the Director General of the GES to rebuke Mr. Kwarteng for dragging the image of the Association into disrepute and to ensure industrial peace and harmony in the country and the educational front. The Association vowed to advise itself in the periods ahead if its generosity to the Ministry and GES is to be repaid with opprobrium.

FIND THE FULL PRESS STATEMENT BELOW

 

GHANA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS

PRESS STATEMENT

CLEANER IN SCHOOL PLACEMENT EXPOSE

WORKS AT GNAT HOSTEL-GES PRO

The attention of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, GNAT, has been drawn to the above news item circulating on social media, and sourced to Myjoyonline, dated February 21, 2023 and timed 9.47am,stating that:

 

The Public Relations Officer of the Education Ministry,Mr.Kwasi Kwarteng,has revealed that janitors and security personnel who were captured as middlemen in the investigative documentary by The Fourth Estate on the controversial’Computerised (School) Placement for Sale’ are not employees of the Education Ministry but of the GNAT Hostel, and that he (Mr. Kwesi Kwarteng) made this revelation while contributing to discussions on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday,February 20,2023.

 

Leadership of the Association hereby reacts to Mr. Kwasi Kwarteng’s assertion and outburst as follows:

 

We are dismayed and appalled that Mr. Kwasi Kwarteng resorted to the usual public relations gimmick by associating the Ghana National Association of Teachers, GNAT, a critical stakeholder in the education enterprise in the country with the malfeasance uncovered in the Fourth Estate’s investigative piece on the placement of our learners in the Senior High Schools.

 

We want to place it on record that we gave our Bediako Conference Hall, and not the GNAT Hostel to the GES for the exercise and stopped at that. Thus, we were in no way involved directly or indirectly in the work of the Placement Staff,neither were we involved with the staffing or personnel who undertook the assignment.

 

We therefore deem the assertion of Mr.Kwesi Kwarteng that the middlemen captured in the investigative documentary as being Employees of the GNAT…, and not of the Education Ministry very vexatious and repugnant, and meant to impugn the image of the Association, while absolving the Ministry of its own shortcomings, weaknesses and lack of due diligence.

 

We deem this very unfortunate and unbecoming of a body with which we share a common aspiration of guaranteeing the country’s young ones a future of bliss and certainty through education.

 

The GNAT is happy that none of its staff was incriminated by the Fourth Estate and hopes that going into the future, the Ministry of Education would plug all loopholes, so that the exercise would not, in the words of Mr. Kwesi Kwarteng, be turned into a marketplace where officials linked to the exercise would exercise their mandate through a network of intermediaries, such as security guards and cleaners, as exposed by the Fourth Estate.

 

As a key stakeholder in the sector, GNAT will always collaborate with the Ministry of Education in its efforts to improve the sector but will not condone comments and acts that are intended to tarnish the image of the Association.

 

We hope the Director General would appreciate the collaboration between GNAT and GES and rebuke Mr. Kwesi Kwarteng to refrain from dragging the image of the Association into disrepute on any platform he appears on to ensure industrial peace and harmony in the country and the educational front.

 

In view of the attacks by Mr. Kwesi Kwarteng on the Ghana National Association of Teachers, GNAT,we demand the publication of the Committee’s report on ‘School placement for sale’ to assure parents,guardians, and the entire Ghanaian Public and all concerned of its (MOE/GES) continued commitment to upholding standards on the education front.

 

The GNAT assures further that it would neither cower nor waver on its stance to ensure that the CSSPS does not compromise the placement system, and to eliminate the veiled and seeming corruption associated with it.

 

Finally, it is a matter of record and fact that not GNAT, any of its staff or assigns have access to the placement system and involved in the placement activities by the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service.

 

If our generosity to the Ministry and GES is to be repaid with opprobrium, then we stand to advising ourselves in the periods ahead.

 

Our hallmark is excellence, our commitment is the welfare of Ghana’s learners and our wish is the best for the country; nothing more, nothing less. This is our credo, and we shall live up to it!

 

THOMAS T. MUSAH

 

GENERAL SECRETARY

ALL MEDIA HOUSES

DATED:FEBRUARY 22,2023